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Messingschlager M, Bartel-Steinbach M, Mackowiak SD, Denkena J, Bieg M, Klös M, Seegebarth A, Straff W, Süring K, Ishaque N, Eils R, Lehmann I, Lermen D, Trump S. Genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing identifies epigenetic perturbations in the upper airways under long-term exposure to moderate levels of ambient air pollution. Environ Res 2023; 233:116413. [PMID: 37343754 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
While the link between exposure to high levels of ambient particulate matter (PM) and increased incidences of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases is widely recognized, recent epidemiological studies have shown that low PM concentrations are equally associated with adverse health effects. As DNA methylation is one of the main mechanisms by which cells regulate and stabilize gene expression, changes in the methylome could constitute early indicators of dysregulated signaling pathways. So far, little is known about PM-associated DNA methylation changes in the upper airways, the first point of contact between airborne pollutants and the human body. Here, we focused on cells of the upper respiratory tract and assessed their genome-wide DNA methylation pattern to explore exposure-associated early regulatory changes. Using a mobile epidemiological laboratory, nasal lavage samples were collected from a cohort of 60 adults that lived in districts with records of low (Simmerath) or moderate (Stuttgart) PM10 levels in Germany. PM10 concentrations were verified by particle measurements on the days of the sample collection and genome-wide DNA methylation was determined by enzymatic methyl sequencing at single-base resolution. We identified 231 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between moderately and lowly PM10 exposed individuals. A high proportion of DMRs overlapped with regulatory elements, and DMR target genes were involved in pathways regulating cellular redox homeostasis and immune response. In addition, we found distinct changes in DNA methylation of the HOXA gene cluster whose methylation levels have previously been linked to air pollution exposure but also to carcinogenesis in several instances. The findings of this study suggest that regulatory changes in upper airway cells occur at PM10 levels below current European thresholds, some of which may be involved in the development of air pollution-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marey Messingschlager
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Königin-Luise-Strasse 12-16, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martina Bartel-Steinbach
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Josef-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, 66280, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Sebastian D Mackowiak
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Denkena
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Bieg
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Klös
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Seegebarth
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Straff
- Environmental Medicine and Health Effects Assessment, German Environment Agency, Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Süring
- Environmental Medicine and Health Effects Assessment, German Environment Agency, Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Naveed Ishaque
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roland Eils
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany; Health Data Science Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital and BioQuant, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Arnimallee 14, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Irina Lehmann
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany.
| | - Dominik Lermen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Josef-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, 66280, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Saskia Trump
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Digital Health, Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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