Ambient air pollution exposure and telomere length: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zong, Z.-Q.; Chen, S.-W.; Wu, Y.; Gui, S.-Y.; Zhang, X.-J.; Hu, C.-Y.
• Is Part Of: Public health. Volume 215(2023)
• Page Start: 42
• Page End: 55
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Air pollution -- Telomere length -- Children -- Systematic review -- Meta-analysis; Public health -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.11.022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-3506

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to provide evidence of the associations between pre- and post-birth and adulthood air pollution exposure with telomere length. Study design: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched up to June 1st, 2022 in order to include relevant observational studies and perform a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: The random-effects meta-analysis was grouped by air pollutant and exposure window (pre- and post-birth and adulthood) to evaluate the summary effect estimate. Cochran's Q and I 2 statistics were used to evaluate the heterogeneity among the included studies. The quality of individual studies was evaluated using the national toxicology program/office of health assessment and translation risk of bias rating tool. Results: We identified 18 studies, covering 8506 children and 2263 adults from multiple countries. We found moderate evidence that particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5 ) exposure during the entire pregnancy (−0.043, 95% CI: −0.067, −0.018), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) exposure during the first trimester (−0.016, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.027, −0.005), long-term adulthood PM2.5 exposure were associated with shortening telomere length. Mild to high between-study heterogeneity was observed for the most tested air pollutant-telomere length combinations in different exposure windows. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis provides the evidence which strongly supports that prenatal PM2.5 and NO2 exposures were related to reduced telomere length, while prenatal sulfur dioxide (SO2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) exposures, childhood PM2.5, particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10 ), NO2 exposures and short-term adulthood PM2.5 and PM10 exposures were not associated with telomere length. Further high-quality studies are needed to elaborate our suggestive associations.