Long-term residential exposure to air pollution is associated with hair cortisol concentration and differential leucocyte count in Flemish adolescent boys

Abstract Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health. Methods: We explored residential exposure to air pollution and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces in relation to hair cortisol concentrations of participants in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Flanders, Belgium. Hair samples were collected at the end of the second pregnancy trimester (n = 133) and shortly after delivery (n = 81). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 3-cm scalp-near hair sections, to reflect second and third pregnancy trimester cortisol secretion. We estimated long-term (3 months before sampling) residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC), assessed residential distance to major roads and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces (NHGS). Associations between residential exposures and hair cortisol concentrations were studied using linear regression models while adjusting for season of sampling.Results: Three-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017). Access to a large NHGS (10 hectares or more within 800 meters from residence) was negatively associated with third trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.019). Access to a large NHGS significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to major roads and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.021). Residential distance to major roads was negatively associated with second trimester hair cortisol concentrations of participants without access to a large NHGS (p = 0.003). The association was not significant for participants with access to a large NHGS. The moderation tended towards significance in the third pregnancy trimester (p < 0.10).Conclusions: Our findings suggest a positive association between long-term residential exposure to air pollution and biological stress during pregnancy, residential access to neighborhood greenspaces may moderate the association. Further research is needed to confirm our results.Trial registration: The IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.

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Residential exposure to air pollution and access to neighborhood greenspace in relation to hair cortisol concentrations during the second and third trimester of pregnancy

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33256/v3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Veerle Josefa Verheyen ◽

Sylvie Remy ◽

Nathalie Lambrechts ◽

Eva Govarts ◽

Ann Colles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Second Trimester ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Residential Exposure ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Biological Stress ◽

Residential Distance

Abstract Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health. Methods: We explored residential exposure to air pollution and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces in relation to hair cortisol concentrations of participants in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Flanders, Belgium. Hair samples were collected at the end of the second pregnancy trimester (n = 133) and shortly after delivery (n = 81). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 3-cm scalp-near hair sections, to reflect second and third pregnancy trimester cortisol secretion. We estimated long-term (3 months before sampling) residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC), assessed residential distance to major roads and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces (NHGS). Associations between residential exposures and hair cortisol concentrations were studied using linear regression models while adjusting for season of sampling.Results: Three-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017). Access to a large NHGS (10 hectares or more within 800 meters from residence) was negatively associated with third trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.019). Access to a large NHGS significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to major roads and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.021). Residential distance to major roads was negatively associated with second trimester hair cortisol concentrations of participants without access to a large NHGS (p = 0.003). The association was not significant for participants with access to a large NHGS. The moderation tended towards significance in the third pregnancy trimester (p < 0.10).Conclusions: Our findings suggest a positive association between long-term residential exposure to air pollution and biological stress during pregnancy, residential access to neighborhood greenspaces may moderate the association. Further research is needed to confirm our results.Trial registration: The IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.

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Residential exposure to air pollution and access to neighborhood greenspace in relation to hair cortisol concentrations during the second and third trimester of pregnancy

Environmental Health ◽

10.1186/s12940-021-00697-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Veerle Josefa Verheyen ◽

Sylvie Remy ◽

Nathalie Lambrechts ◽

Eva Govarts ◽

Ann Colles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Second Trimester ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Residential Exposure ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Biological Stress ◽

Residential Distance

Abstract Background Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health. Methods We explored residential exposure to air pollution and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces in relation to hair cortisol concentrations of participants in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Flanders, Belgium. Hair samples were collected at the end of the second pregnancy trimester (n = 133) and shortly after delivery (n = 81). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 3-cm scalp-near hair sections, to reflect second and third pregnancy trimester cortisol secretion. We estimated long-term (3 months before sampling) residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC), assessed residential distance to major roads and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces (NHGS). Associations between residential exposures and hair cortisol concentrations were studied using linear regression models while adjusting for season of sampling. Results Three-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017). Access to a large NHGS (10 ha or more within 800 m from residence) was negatively associated with third trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.019). Access to a large NHGS significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to major roads and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.021). Residential distance to major roads was negatively associated with second trimester hair cortisol concentrations of participants without access to a large NHGS (p = 0.003). The association was not significant for participants with access to a large NHGS. The moderation tended towards significance in the third pregnancy trimester (p < 0.10). Conclusions Our findings suggest a positive association between long-term residential exposure to air pollution and biological stress during pregnancy, residential access to neighborhood greenspaces may moderate the association. Further research is needed to confirm our results. Trial registration The IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.

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Quantifying long-term stress in brown bears with the hair cortisol concentration: a biomarker that may be confounded by rapid changes in response to capture and handling

Conservation Physiology ◽

10.1093/conphys/cou026 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. cou026-cou026 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

M. Cattet ◽

B. J. Macbeth ◽

D. M. Janz ◽

A. Zedrosser ◽

J. E. Swenson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Rapid Changes

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Association of screen time with long-term stress and temperament in preschoolers: results from the DAGIS study

European Journal of Pediatrics ◽

10.1007/s00431-020-03686-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 179 (11) ◽

pp. 1805-1812

Author(s):

Marja H. Leppänen ◽

Katri Sääksjärvi ◽

Henna Vepsäläinen ◽

Carola Ray ◽

Pauliina Hiltunen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Young Children ◽

Screen Time ◽

Effortful Control ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 ± 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = − 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children. What is Known: • Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. • There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children. What is New: • Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. • Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.

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Long-term residential exposure to urban air pollution, and repeated measures of systemic blood markers of inflammation and coagulation

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2014-102800 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 72 (9) ◽

pp. 656-663 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Anja Viehmann ◽

Sabine Hertel ◽

Kateryna Fuks ◽

Lewin Eisele ◽

Susanne Moebus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Urban Air Pollution ◽

Urban Air ◽

Systemic Blood ◽

Residential Exposure ◽

Markers Of Inflammation

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The Effect of Body Region on Hair Cortisol Concentration in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Comparative Medicine ◽

10.30802/aalas-cm-20-000091 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Evelyn E Bartling-John ◽

Kimberley A Phillips

Keyword(s):

Callithrix Jacchus ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

The Body ◽

Body Region ◽

Research Model ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Social Stimuli ◽

Common Marmosets ◽

Hpa Axis Activity

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are a valuable research model for the study of neuroscience and the biologicimpact of aging due to their adaptivity, physiologic characteristics, and ease of handling for experimental manipulations. Quantification of cortisol in hair provides a noninvasive, retrospective biomarker of hypothalamics-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)axis activity and information on animal wellbeing, including responses to environmental and social stimuli. To obtain valid and reliable measurements of long-term HPA activity, we investigated the variability of cortisol concentration in the hair depending on the body region of marmosets. Hair was collected from the back and tail of 9 adult common marmosets during annual health screenings (male n = 3; female n = 6) and these samples were analyzed for cortisol via methanol extraction and enzyme immunoassay. We found that hair cortisol concentration differed between the tail and back regions, with the tail samples having a significantly higher cortisol concentration. These results indicate intraindividual and interindividual comparisons of hair cortisol concentration should use hair obtained from the same body region in marmosets.

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Association Between Long-Term Residential Exposure To Air Pollution And Biomarkers Related To Insulin Resistance

ISEE Conference Abstracts ◽

10.1289/isee.2015.2015-1045 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 (1) ◽

pp. 1045

Author(s):

Anita Popp ◽

Kathrin Wolf ◽

Alexandra Schneider ◽

Susanne Breitner ◽

Regina Hampel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Residential Exposure

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Residential exposure to air pollution, access to neighborhood greenspace and their association with hair cortisol concentrations in the second and third trimester of pregnancy

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33256/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Veerle Josefa Verheyen ◽

Sylvie Remy ◽

Nathalie Lambrechts ◽

Eva Govarts ◽

Ann Colles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Stress Response ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Major Road ◽

Second Trimester ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Residential Exposure ◽

Biological Stress ◽

Residential Distance

Abstract Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. Recent studies have shown that a biological stress response, with release of cortisol, may underlie associations between air pollution and health effects. The available research on air pollution exposure in relation to biological stress during pregnancy is still scarce. Methods: We explored associations between residential exposure to air pollution, access to neighborhood greenspace and hair cortisol concentrations in a prospective pregnancy cohort study. We modelled participants’ residential air pollutant concentrations (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon (BC)), assessed residential distance to a major road and access to a neighborhood greenspace. Hair cortisol concentrations, reflecting cortisol secretion over a period of 3 months prior to sampling, were determined at the end of the second (n = 133) and third pregnancy trimester (n = 81). Results: Three-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations. The residential distance to a major road was negatively associated with second and third trimester hair cortisol concentrations. Access to a greenspace of 10 hectares or more within 800 meters travel distance significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to a major road and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations. At an average residential distance of 304 meters from a major road, mean second trimester HCC were estimated 22% lower for mothers with access to a neighborhood greenspace (3.71 (95% CI: 3.24, 4.24) pg/mg hair) compared to mothers without access (4.22 (95% CI: 3.26, 5.47) pg/mg hair). The moderation tended towards significance in the third trimester (p < 0.10). Conclusions: Increased residential exposure to air pollution and closer proximity to a major road are associated with an increased biological stress response in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, access to neighborhood greenspace may moderate the association. Trial registration: The IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.

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