Effects of short-term exposure to inhalable particulate matter on telomere length, telomerase expression, and telomerase methylation in steel workers

Laura Dioni, Mirjam Hoxha, Francesco Nordio, Matteo Bonzini, Letizia Tarantini, Benedetta Albetti, Alice Savarese, Joel Schwartz, Pier Alberto Bertazzi, Pietro Apostoli, Lifang Hou, Andrea Baccarelli*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

113 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a marker of cardiovascular risk that has been recently associated with long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM). However, LTL is increased during acute inflammation and allows for rapid proliferation of inflammatory cells. Whether short-term exposure to proinflammatory exposures such as PM increases LTL has never been evaluated. Objectives: We investigated the effects of acute exposure to metal-rich PM on blood LTL, as well as molecular mechanisms contributing to LTL regulation in a group of steel workers with high PM exposure. Methods: We measured LTL, as well as mRNA expression and promoter DNA methylation of the telomerase catalytic enzyme gene [human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)] in blood samples obtained from 63 steel workers on the first day of a workweek (baseline) and after 3 days of work (postexposure). Results: LTL was significantly increased in postexposure (mean ± SD, 1.43 ± 0.51) compared with baseline samples (1.23 ± 0.28, p-value < 0.001). Postexposure LTL was positively associated with PM10 (β = 0.30, p-value = 0.002 for 90th vs. 10th percentile exposure) and PM1 (β = 0.29, p-value = 0.042) exposure levels in regression models adjusting for multiple covariates. hTERT expression was lower in postexposure samples (1.31 ± 0.75) than at baseline (1.68 ± 0.86, p-value < 0.001), but the decrease in hTERT expression did not show a dose-response relationship with PM. We found no exposure-related differences in the methylation of any of the CpG sites investigated in the hTERT promoter. Conclusions: Short-term exposure to PM caused a rapid increase in blood LTL. The LTL increase did not appear to be mediated by PM-related changes in hTERT expression and methylation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)622-627
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental health perspectives
Volume119
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2011

Keywords

  • Epigenetics
  • Particulate matter
  • Telomerase
  • Telomere length

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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