The impact of occupational and other environmental exposures on the aetiology of COPD, bronchitis and bronchiolitis

2020 ◽  
pp. 86-103
Author(s):  
Vivi Schlünssen ◽  
Else Toft Würtz ◽  
Martin Rune Hassan Hansen ◽  
Martin Miller ◽  
Torben Sigsgaard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH) Cohort Study: influences of complex environmental exposures on maternal and child health in Suriname

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e034702
Author(s):  
Wilco Zijlmans ◽  
Jeffrey Wickliffe ◽  
Ashna Hindori-Mohangoo ◽  
Sigrid MacDonald-Ottevanger ◽  
Paul Ouboter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Environmental And Occupational Health

PurposeThe Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health prospective environmental epidemiologic cohort study addresses the impact of chemical and non-chemical environmental exposures on mother/child dyads in Suriname. The study determines associations between levels of environmental elements and toxicants in pregnant women, and birth outcomes and neurodevelopment in their children.ParticipantsPregnant women (N=1143) were enrolled from December 2016 to July 2019 from three regions of Suriname: Paramaribo (N=738), Nickerie (N=204) and the tropical rainforest interior (N=201). Infants (N=992) were enrolled at birth. Follow-up will take place until children are 48 months old.Findings to dateBiospecimens and questionnaire data on physiological and psychosocial health in pregnant women have been analysed. 39.1% had hair mercury (Hg) levels exceeding values considered safe by international standards. Median hair Hg concentrations in women from Paramaribo (N=522) were 0.64 µg/g hair (IQRs 0.36–1.09; range 0.00–7.12), from Nickerie (N=176) 0.73 µg/g (IQR 0.45–1.05; range 0.00–5.79) and the interior (N=178) 3.48 µg/g (IQR 1.92–7.39; range 0.38–18.20). 96.1% of women ate fish, respective consumption of the three most consumed carnivorous species, Hoplias aimara, Serrasalmus rhombeus and Cichla ocellaris, known to have high Hg levels, was 44.4%, 19.3% and 26.3%, respectively, and was greater among the interior subcohort. 89% frequently consumed the vegetable tannia, samples of which showed presence of worldwide banned pesticides. 24.9% of pregnant women had Edinburgh Depression Scale scores indicative of probable depression.Future plansFish consumption advisories are in development, especially relevant to interior women for whom fish consumption is likely to be the primary source of Hg exposure. Effects of potentially beneficial neuroprotective factors in fish that may counter neurotoxic effects of Hg are being examined. A pesticide literacy assessment in pregnant women is in progress. Neurodevelopmental assessments and telomere length measurements of the children to evaluate long-term effects of prenatal exposures to toxicant mixtures are ongoing.

scholarly journals The interplay between environmental exposures and COVID-19 risks in the health of children

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. Sly ◽  
Brittany A. Trottier ◽  
Catherine M. Bulka ◽  
Stephania A. Cormier ◽  
Julius Fobil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background An unusual feature of SARS-Cov-2 infection and the COVID-19 pandemic is that children are less severely affected than adults. This is especially paradoxical given the epidemiological links between poor air quality and increased COVID-19 severity in adults and that children are generally more vulnerable than adults to the adverse consequences of air pollution. Objectives To identify gaps in knowledge about the factors that protect children from severe SARS-Cov-2 infection even in the face of air pollution, and to develop a transdisciplinary research strategy to address these gaps. Methods An international group of researchers interested in children’s environmental health was invited to identify knowledge gaps and to develop research questions to close these gaps. Discussion Key research questions identified include: what are the effects of SAR-Cov-2 infection during pregnancy on the developing fetus and child; what is the impact of age at infection and genetic susceptibility on disease severity; why do some children with COVID-19 infection develop toxic shock and Kawasaki-like symptoms; what are the impacts of toxic environmental exposures including poor air quality, chemical and metal exposures on innate immunity, especially in the respiratory epithelium; what is the possible role of a “dirty” environment in conveying protection – an example of the “hygiene hypothesis”; and what are the long term health effects of SARS-Cov-2 infection in early life. Conclusion A concerted research effort by a multidisciplinary team of scientists is needed to understand the links between environmental exposures, especially air pollution and COVID-19. We call for specific research funding to encourage basic and clinical research to understand if/why exposure to environmental factors is associated with more severe disease, why children appear to be protected, and how innate immune responses may be involved. Lessons learned about SARS-Cov-2 infection in our children will help us to understand and reduce disease severity in adults, the opposite of the usual scenario.

THE IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON DISEASE RATES IN AREAS WITH PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES

Epidemiology ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S88 ◽  
Author(s):  
B G ARMSTRONG ◽  
S GLEAVE ◽  
P WILKINSON
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Disease Rates ◽  
The Impact

The Study of Asian Women and their Offspring’s Development and Environmental Exposures (SAWASDEE): A northern Thailand birth cohort study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Barr ◽  
Nancy Fiedler ◽  
Tippawan Prapamontol ◽  
Panrapee Suttiwan ◽  
Warangkana Naksen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Prenatal Exposure ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
World Health ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Asian Women ◽  
Northern Thailand ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to pesticides have been linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Gaps exist in the current literature about the timing and magnitude of exposures that result in these adverse outcomes. OBJECTIVE The Study of Asian Women and their Offspring’s Development and Environmental Exposures (SAWASDEE) Cohort was established to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to pesticides on neurodevelopment during infancy and early childhood in northern Thailand. METHODS Recruitment of this prospective, longitudinal birth cohort began in July 2017 and was completed in June 2019 in Chom Thong and Fang, two farming districts in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. Follow up of the study participants is on-going. During pregnancy, seven questionnaires were administered. Time-resolved biospecimen samples were collected monthly (for urine) and during each trimester (for blood) at antenatal care visits. Medical records were abstracted. Infants were administered the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) test at one month of age. We will complete a number of additional exposure related analyses. RESULTS A total of 1298 women were screened and of those 394 women were enrolled. The mean gestational age at enrollment was 9.9 weeks (STD = 2.6). Differences in literacy were observed between Chom Thong and Fang participants. In Fang about 51% reported being able to read in Thai compared to about 95% in Chom Thong. The percentages were comparable for reporting to be able to write in Thai. A total of 322 mother-child pairs completed the NNNS. CONCLUSIONS This longitudinal birth cohort study will inform risk assessment standards for pregnant women in Thailand and other countries. Building awareness of how insecticide exposure during specific windows of pregnancy affects the neurodevelopmental trajectories of children in developing countries is a specific need recognized by the World Health Organization.

Gene–environment interplay in the etiology of psychosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 1925-1936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyson Zwicker ◽  
Eileen M. Denovan-Wright ◽  
Rudolf Uher
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Human Potential ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSchizophrenia and other types of psychosis incur suffering, high health care costs and loss of human potential, due to the combination of early onset and poor response to treatment. Our ability to prevent or cure psychosis depends on knowledge of causal mechanisms. Molecular genetic studies show that thousands of common and rare variants contribute to the genetic risk for psychosis. Epidemiological studies have identified many environmental factors associated with increased risk of psychosis. However, no single genetic or environmental factor is sufficient to cause psychosis on its own. The risk of developing psychosis increases with the accumulation of many genetic risk variants and exposures to multiple adverse environmental factors. Additionally, the impact of environmental exposures likely depends on genetic factors, through gene–environment interactions. Only a few specific gene–environment combinations that lead to increased risk of psychosis have been identified to date. An example of replicable gene–environment interaction is a common polymorphism in theAKT1gene that makes its carriers sensitive to developing psychosis with regular cannabis use. A synthesis of results from twin studies, molecular genetics, and epidemiological research outlines the many genetic and environmental factors contributing to psychosis. The interplay between these factors needs to be considered to draw a complete picture of etiology. To reach a more complete explanation of psychosis that can inform preventive strategies, future research should focus on longitudinal assessments of multiple environmental exposures within large, genotyped cohorts beginning early in life.

scholarly journals Beyond the looking glass: recent advances in understanding the impact of environmental exposures on neuropsychiatric disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1086-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan A. Hollander ◽  
Deborah A. Cory-Slechta ◽  
Felice N. Jacka ◽  
Steven T. Szabo ◽  
Tomás R. Guilarte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disease ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Looking Glass

scholarly journals Mutational Signatures as Sensors of Environmental Exposures: Role of Smoking in COVID-19 Vulnerabilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoo-Ah Kim ◽  
Ermin Hodzic ◽  
Ariella Saslafsky ◽  
Damian Wojtowicz ◽  
Bayarbaatar Amgalan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Mutational Signatures ◽  
Mutational Signature ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pathway Level

Background: Environmental exposures such as smoking are widely recognized risk factors in the emergence of lung diseases such as lung cancer and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, the strength of environmental exposures is difficult to measure, making it challenging to understand their impacts. On the other hand, some COVID-19 patients develop ARDS in an unfavorable disease progression and smoking has been suggested as a potential risk factor among others. Yet initial studies on COVID-19 cases reported contradictory results on the effects of smoking on the disease. Some suggest that smoking might have a protective effect against it while other studies report an increased risk. A better understanding of how the exposure to smoking and other environmental factors affect biological processes relevant to SARS-CoV-2 infection and unfavorable disease progression is needed. Approach: In this study, we utilize mutational signatures associated with environmental factors as sensors of their exposure level. Many environmental factors including smoking are mutagenic and leave characteristic patterns of mutations, called mutational signatures, in affected genomes. We postulated that analyzing mutational signatures, combined with gene expression, can shed light on the impact of the mutagenic environmental factors to the biological processes. In particular, we utilized mutational signatures from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) data set collected in TCGA to investigate the role of environmental factors in COVID-19 vulnerabilities. Integrating mutational signatures with gene expression in normal tissues and using a pathway level analysis, we examined how the exposure to smoking and other mutagenic environmental factors affects the infectivity of the virus and disease progression. Results: By delineating changes associated with smoking in pathway-level gene expression and cell type proportions, our study demonstrates that mutational signatures can be utilized to study the impact of exogenous mutagenic factors on them. Consistent with previous findings, our analysis showed that smoking mutational signature (SBS4) is associated with activation of cytokines mediated singling pathways, leading to inflammatory responses. Smoking related changes in cell composition were also observed, including the correlation of SBS4 with the expansion of goblet cells. On the other hand, increased basal cells and decreased ciliated cells in proportion were associated with the strength of a different mutational signature (SBS5), which is present abundantly but not exclusively in smokers. In addition, we found that smoking increases the expression levels of genes that are upregulated in severe COVID-19 cases. Jointly, these results suggest an unfavorable impact of smoking on the disease progression and also provide novel findings on how smoking impacts biological processes in lung.

scholarly journals FHIR PIT: an open software application for spatiotemporal integration of clinical data and environmental exposures data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Xu ◽  
Steven Cox ◽  
Lisa Stillwell ◽  
Emily Pfaff ◽  
James Champion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Clinical Data ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Spatiotemporal Data ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Software Application ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Informatics tools to support the integration and subsequent interrogation of spatiotemporal data such as clinical data and environmental exposures data are lacking. Such tools are needed to support research in environmental health and any biomedical field that is challenged by the need for integrated spatiotemporal data to examine individual-level determinants of health and disease. Results We have developed an open-source software application—FHIR PIT (Health Level 7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources Patient data Integration Tool)—to enable studies on the impact of individual-level environmental exposures on health and disease. FHIR PIT was motivated by the need to integrate patient data derived from our institution’s clinical warehouse with a variety of public data sources on environmental exposures and then openly expose the data via ICEES (Integrated Clinical and Environmental Exposures Service). FHIR PIT consists of transformation steps or building blocks that can be chained together to form a transformation and integration workflow. Several transformation steps are generic and thus can be reused. As such, new types of data can be incorporated into the modular FHIR PIT pipeline by simply reusing generic steps or adding new ones. We have validated FHIR PIT in the context of a driving use case designed to investigate the impact of airborne pollutant exposures on asthma. Specifically, we replicated published findings demonstrating racial disparities in the impact of airborne pollutants on asthma exacerbations. Conclusions While FHIR PIT was developed to support our driving use case, the software can be used to integrate any type and number of spatiotemporal data sources at a level of granularity that enables individual-level study. We expect FHIR PIT to facilitate research in environmental health and numerous other biomedical disciplines.

scholarly journals Contrasting prenatal nutrition and environmental exposures in association with birth weight and cognitive function in children at 7 years

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjnph-2020-000099
Author(s):  
Chris Gennings ◽  
Alicja Wolk ◽  
Niclas Hakansson ◽  
Christian Lindh ◽  
Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Environmental Exposures ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Environmental Toxicants ◽  
Dietary Restrictions ◽  
Good Nutrition ◽  
Nutritional Needs ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundGood nutrition is essential for individual health, a notion that is particularly true during pregnancy. We have used a nutrition index that measures the adequacy of one’s diet relative to the unique nutritional needs of individuals due to, for example, their activity level, dietary restrictions, lifestyle and body size. The use of this personalised metric of dietary nutritiousness in the analysis of prenatal environmental exposures and developmental outcomes permits testing for potential mitigating effects of good nutrition. We also provide an analysis strategy for investigating the balance in beneficial food sources which are also the source of environmental toxicants.MethodsA holistic measure of nutrition, My Nutrition Index (MNI), measures the nutrient quality (ie, ‘nutritiousness’) of a specified daily diet. MNI is calculated based on quantification of dozens of macronutrients and micronutrients that are specific to an individual’s nutritional needs by incorporating dietary restrictions, subject characteristics, activity level and health behaviours. The Swedish Environmental, Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy Study is a Swedish pregnancy cohort, with prenatal endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) exposure and dietary data available. This makes it possible to test for the potential mitigating effects of good nutrition on health and development effects in offspring from EDCs.ResultsUsing prenatal Food Frequency Questionnaire data to construct an individual’s MNI, the index was significantly and positively associated with important metabolic outcome (as measured by birth weight) and cognitive function at age 7 years (as measured by WISC IQ) in children when adjusted for covariates and prenatal concentrations of an EDC. In a stratified analysis of ‘low’ and ‘high’ fish consumption, a potential source of perfluoro-octanesulfonic acid (PFOS), the association between PFOS and birth weight was diminished in the high consumption group compared with the low consumption group.ConclusionsThus, MNI is evidently a metric of the general nutritiousness of daily diets and is useful in environmental health studies in representing the impact of good nutrition, even during pregnancy.

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