Pilot proteomics study for identifying a pollution exposure signature in firefighters

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Proteomics
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Air pollution exposure is linked to increased immune and cardiometabolic biomarkers.
• Particulate matter exposure can induce proteomic changes associated with adverse health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a pollution exposure signature in a pilot cohort of 54 firefighters and controls in the Bay Area.
• To explore the utility of large-scale plasma proteomics for identifying environmental exposure biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Proteomics data from Olink assays were analyzed using feature selection methods, including LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator).
• Targeted analysis focused on 67 biomarkers in well-defined pathways, while untargeted analysis considered 1463 unique assays.
• Regression analysis was employed to identify biomarkers associated with high exposure levels.

Main Results:

• Angiopoietin 1 and hydroxyacylglutathione hydrolase levels were consistently higher in firefighters versus controls.
• Matrix metalloproteinase-1, a protein implicated in tumorigenesis, was elevated with greater acute exposure.
• Fifteen key biomarkers were identified through both targeted and untargeted approaches, with 10 biomarkers numerically higher in highly exposed firefighters.

Conclusions:

• Large-scale plasma proteomics is a valuable tool for identifying pollution exposure signatures.
• Regularization-based feature selection can pinpoint critical biomarkers for targeted monitoring.
• Findings enhance understanding of air pollution's impact on healthy adults and inform mitigation strategies for occupational exposure.