Associations of multiple air pollutants with kidney function in normal-weight and obese adults and effect modification by free fatty acids

Luyi Li; Wenlou Zhang; Shan Liu; Junhui Xu; Liyan Cui; Di Yang; Yazheng Wang; Wanzhou Wang; Junchao Duan; Zhiwei Sun; Xinbiao Guo; Junxiu Liu; Furong Deng

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140009

Associations of multiple air pollutants with kidney function in normal-weight and obese adults and effect modification by free fatty acids

Chemosphere. 2023 Nov:341:140009. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140009. Epub 2023 Aug 28.

Authors

Luyi Li¹, Wenlou Zhang², Shan Liu³, Junhui Xu⁴, Liyan Cui⁵, Di Yang⁶, Yazheng Wang⁷, Wanzhou Wang⁸, Junchao Duan⁹, Zhiwei Sun¹⁰, Xinbiao Guo¹¹, Junxiu Liu¹², Furong Deng¹³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: liluyi96@163.com.
² Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: zhangwenlou@pku.edu.cn.
³ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: 495371986@qq.com.
⁴ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: xx@bjmu.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: cliyan@163.com.
⁶ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: diyang@bjmu.edu.cn.
⁷ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: wyz0881@126.com.
⁸ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: 1610306235@pku.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China. Electronic address: jcduan@ccmu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China. Electronic address: zwsun@ccmu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: guoxb@bjmu.edu.cn.
¹² Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: liujunxiusanyuan@sina.com.
¹³ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: lotus321321@126.com.

PMID: 37648166
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140009

Abstract

Increasing studies have linked air pollution to kidney dysfunction, however, the associations between the mixture of air pollutants and kidney function and potential effect modifiers remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether obese adults were more susceptible than normal-weight ones to the joint effects of multiple air pollutants on kidney function and further to explore effect modification by free fatty acids (FFAs). Forty obese and 49 normal-weight adults were recruited from a panel study (252 follow-up visits). Individual exposure levels of air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, NO₂, SO₂ and CO) were estimated. Glomerular function (cystatin C (CysC) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)) and tubular function (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury molecule-1) were evaluated. Plasma levels of FFAs including trans fatty acids (TFAs) and essential fatty acids (EFAs) were quantified using targeted metabolomics. Bayesian kernel machine regression model was applied to estimate the associations between the mixture of air pollutants and kidney function. The results showed significant joint effects of air pollutants on kidney function indicators. In the normal-weight group, the mixture of air pollutants was significantly associated with CysC and eGFRcr-cys when the mixture was at or above its 70 percentile compared with the median, where O₃ was identified as the key pollutant. In the obese group, a significantly positive association between the pollutant mixture and NGAL was observed in addition to trends in CysC and eGFRcr-cys, mainly driven by SO₂. Interaction analysis suggested that the associations of air pollutants with kidney function were augmented by TFAs in both groups and weakened by EFAs in the normal-weight group. This study highlighted the renal adverse effects of air pollutants and modification of FFAs, which has implications for target prevention for kidney dysfunction associated with air pollution, especially among vulnerable populations.

Keywords: Air pollution; Free fatty acids; Joint effects; Kidney function; Obesity.

MeSH terms

Adult
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollutants* / toxicity
Air Pollution* / analysis
Bayes Theorem
China
Environmental Pollutants* / analysis
Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
Humans
Lipocalin-2 / analysis
Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis
Obesity / chemically induced
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
Lipocalin-2
Environmental Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Nitrogen Dioxide