NOS1: a susceptibility gene for reduced level of FEV1 in the setting of pesticide exposure

Impact of occupational pesticide exposure on the human gut microbiome

The rising use of pesticides in modern agriculture has led to a shift in disease burden in which exposure to these chemicals plays an increasingly important role. The human gut microbiome, which is partially responsible for the biotransformation of xenobiotics, is also known to promote biotransformation of environmental pollutants. Understanding the effects of occupational pesticide exposure on the gut microbiome can thus provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the impact of pesticide exposure on health. Here we investigate the impact of occupational pesticide exposure on human gut microbiome composition in 7198 participants from the Dutch Microbiome Project of the Lifelines Study. We used job-exposure matrices in combination with occupational codes to retrieve categorical and cumulative estimates of occupational exposures to general pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Approximately 4% of our cohort was occupationally exposed to at least one class of pesticides, with predominant exposure to multiple pesticide classes. Most participants reported long-term employment, suggesting a cumulative profile of exposure. We demonstrate that contact with insecticides, fungicides and a general "all pesticides" class was consistently associated with changes in the gut microbiome, showing significant associations with decreased alpha diversity and a differing beta diversity. We also report changes in the abundance of 39 different bacterial taxa upon exposure to the different pesticide classes included in this study. Together, the extent of statistically relevant associations between gut microbial changes and pesticide exposure in our findings highlights the impact of these compounds on the human gut microbiome.

Occupational exposures and genetic susceptibility to occupational exposures are related to sickness absence in the Lifelines cohort study

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association between occupational exposures and sickness absence (SA), the mediating role of respiratory symptoms, and whether genetic susceptibility to SA upon occupational exposures exists. Logistic regression was used to examine associations and structural equation modelling was used for mediation analyses. Genetic susceptibility was investigated by including interactions between occupational exposures and 11 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Biological dust, mineral dust, and pesticides exposure were associated with a lower prevalence of any SA (OR (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.58-0.89), 0.88 (0.78-0.99), and 0.70 (0.55-0.89), respectively) while gases/fumes exposure was associated with a higher prevalence of long-term SA (1.46 (1.11-1.91)). Subjects exposed to solvents and metals had a higher prevalence of any (1.14 (1.03-1.26) and 1.68 (1.26-2.24)) and long-term SA (1.26 (1.08-1.46) and 1.75 (1.15-2.67)). Chronic cough and chronic phlegm mediated the association between high gases/fumes exposure and long-term SA. Two of 11 SNPs investigated had a positive interaction with exposure on SA and one SNP negatively interacted with exposure on SA. Exposure to metals and gases/fumes showed a clear dose-response relationship with a higher prevalence of long-term SA; contrary, exposure to pesticides and biological/mineral dust showed a protective effect on any SA. Respiratory symptoms mediated the association between occupational exposures and SA. Moreover, gene-by-exposure interactions exist.