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Environmental Air Pollutants Inhaled during Pregnancy Are Associated with Altered Cord Blood Immune Cell Profiles

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  • Gabriela Martins Costa Gomes

    (Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell®, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia)

  • Wilfried Karmaus

    (School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA)

  • Vanessa E. Murphy

    (Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell®, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia)

  • Peter G. Gibson

    (Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
    Sleep Medicine Department, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia)

  • Elizabeth Percival

    (Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell®, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia)

  • Philip M. Hansbro

    (Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
    Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia)

  • Malcolm R. Starkey

    (Department of Immunology and Pathology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia)

  • Joerg Mattes

    (Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell®, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
    Paediatric Respiratory & Sleep Medicine Department, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia)

  • Adam M. Collison

    (Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell®, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia)

Abstract

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy may be a risk factor for altered immune maturation in the offspring. We investigated the association between ambient air pollutants during pregnancy and cell populations in cord blood from babies born to mothers with asthma enrolled in the Breathing for Life Trial. For each patient ( n = 91), daily mean ambient air pollutant levels were extracted during their entire pregnancy for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter <10 μm (PM 10 ) or <2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), humidity, and temperature. Ninety-one cord blood samples were collected, stained, and assessed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Principal Component (PC) analyses of both air pollutants and cell types with linear regression were employed to define associations. Considering risk factors and correlations between PCs, only one PC from air pollutants and two from cell types were statistically significant. PCs from air pollutants were characterized by higher PM 2.5 and lower SO 2 levels. PCs from cell types were characterized by high numbers of CD8 T cells, low numbers of CD4 T cells, and by high numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and low numbers of myeloid DCs (mDCs). PM 2.5 levels during pregnancy were significantly associated with high numbers of pDCs ( p = 0.006), and SO 2 with high numbers of CD8 T cells ( p = 0.002) and low numbers of CD4 T cells ( p = 0.011) and mDCs ( p = 4.43 × 10 −6 ) in cord blood. These data suggest that ambient SO 2 and PM 2.5 exposure are associated with shifts in cord blood cell types that are known to play significant roles in inflammatory respiratory disease in childhood.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriela Martins Costa Gomes & Wilfried Karmaus & Vanessa E. Murphy & Peter G. Gibson & Elizabeth Percival & Philip M. Hansbro & Malcolm R. Starkey & Joerg Mattes & Adam M. Collison, 2021. "Environmental Air Pollutants Inhaled during Pregnancy Are Associated with Altered Cord Blood Immune Cell Profiles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7431-:d:592855
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Angelica I. Tiotiu & Plamena Novakova & Denislava Nedeva & Herberto Jose Chong-Neto & Silviya Novakova & Paschalis Steiropoulos & Krzysztof Kowal, 2020. "Impact of Air Pollution on Asthma Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-29, August.
    2. Oyewale Mayowa Morakinyo & Matlou Ingrid Mokgobu & Murembiwa Stanley Mukhola & Raymond Paul Hunter, 2016. "Health Outcomes of Exposure to Biological and Chemical Components of Inhalable and Respirable Particulate Matter," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-22, June.
    3. Shannon M. Melody & Karen Wills & Luke D. Knibbs & Jane Ford & Alison Venn & Fay Johnston, 2020. "Maternal Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Pregnancy Complications in Victoria, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-12, April.
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