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DNA methylation: a potential mediator between air pollution exposures and asthma control
My-Nhi Nguyen1, Katelyn Queen2, Frank D Gilliland2
1Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. ngocmynh@usc.edu.
Clinical Epigenetics
|October 22, 2025
Summary
Air pollution exposure, particularly short-term PM10, is linked to poorer asthma control. DNA methylation changes in blood cells may mediate this relationship, offering insights into asthma pathophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Epigenetics
- Respiratory Medicine
- Molecular Epidemiology
Background:
- Air pollution is a known asthma exacerbator, with mechanisms involving DNA methylation (DNAm) hypothesized.
- Understanding how environmental exposures like air pollution impact asthma control through epigenetic modifications is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between air pollution exposure and DNAm in peripheral blood and T cells.
- To explore the potential mediating role of DNAm in the relationship between air pollution and asthma control.
Main Methods:
- Epigenome-Wide Association Study (EWAS) on 651 asthma patients exposed to various air pollutants (NO2, PM2.5, PM10, O3, EC, NOx).
- Assessed asthma control using Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores.
- Quantified DNAm in whole blood and CD4+ naive T cells using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array.
- Employed Causal Inference Test (CIT) to analyze mediation by DNAm.
Main Results:
- Short-term PM10 exposure correlated with reduced asthma control.
- Identified significant DNAm changes associated with PM10, EC, NOx (whole blood) and PM10, NO2, PM2.5 (CD4+ cells).
- Specific CpG sites (e.g., cg04605532, cg10022248) were linked to both air pollution exposure and asthma control.
- CIT analysis suggested two CpG sites (cg02324789, cg10758278) may mediate the effect of PM10 on asthma control.
Conclusions:
- Air pollution-induced DNA methylation changes may influence asthma control at specific loci.
- These epigenetic alterations provide potential targets for understanding asthma pathophysiology related to air pollution.
- Further research is needed to confirm causal links and elucidate the complex interactions between air pollution, DNA methylation, and asthma.
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