Effects of exposure to environmental factors on obesity-related growth parameters and leptin (LEP) methylation in children

Evi De Ryck; Manosij Ghosh; Tim S Nawrot; Brigitte Reimann; Gudrun Koppen; Els Verachtert; Roland Devlieger; Lode Godderis; Sara Pauwels

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123465

Effects of exposure to environmental factors on obesity-related growth parameters and leptin (LEP) methylation in children

Environ Pollut. 2024 Apr 1:346:123465. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123465. Epub 2024 Feb 2.

Authors

Evi De Ryck¹, Manosij Ghosh², Tim S Nawrot³, Brigitte Reimann⁴, Gudrun Koppen⁵, Els Verachtert⁶, Roland Devlieger⁷, Lode Godderis⁸, Sara Pauwels⁹

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: evi.deryck@kuleuven.be.
² Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: manosij.ghosh@kuleuven.be.
³ Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Hasselt, Belgium. Electronic address: tim.nawrot@uhasselt.be.
⁴ Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Hasselt, Belgium. Electronic address: brigitte.reimann@uhasselt.be.
⁵ Unit Environmental Risk and Health, Flemish Institute of Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium. Electronic address: gudrun.koppen@vito.be.
⁶ Environmental Modelling Unit, Flemish Institute of Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium. Electronic address: els.verachtert@vito.be.
⁷ Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UZ Leuven - University Hospitals of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: roland.devlieger@uzleuven.be.
⁸ Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; IDEWE, External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work, Interleuvenlaan 58, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium. Electronic address: lode.godderis@idewe.be.
⁹ Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Unit Environmental Risk and Health, Flemish Institute of Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium. Electronic address: sara.pauwels@uzleuven.be.

PMID: 38309423
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123465

Abstract

The prevalence of childhood obesity is rapidly increasing. Therefore, gaining more information on the role of environmental parameters is key. With overexpression of leptin (encoded by LEP) in obesity, LEP methylation might be altered by environmental exposures. This study aims to assess effects of ambient air pollution and nearby greenness on obesity-related growth and LEP methylation in early childhood. We monitored 120 mother-child pairs from conception until the age of five. Buccal swabs and anthropometric measurements of the children were taken at six months, one year, and five years old. Buccal DNA was extracted to determine LEP methylation levels. Estimates of air pollution and nearby greenness were calculated using high-resolution models. Effects of air pollution and nearby greenness on growth or LEP methylation were investigated using linear mixed effects models. Positive associations were shown for air pollution between conception and age one on impedance in six-month-olds and one-year-olds in the crude model. PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 (PM₁₀) and ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) positively associated with waist-hip-ratio and waist circumference at age five in the fully adjusted model. In early childhood, closest distance to forest negatively, and urban green and forest positively associated with weight-for-length, body mass index, and fat percentage in five-year-olds in the fully adjusted model. No significant associations for noise, and walkability on growth were seen. Negative associations were shown for smaller green clusters and positive associations for greater green clusters on LEP methylation in one-year-olds. For forest distance, walkability, noise, or all green on LEP methylation, no significant associations were found. Evidence is provided that ambient air pollution might have a significant effect on impedance and waist-hip-ratio, suggesting an increased risk of childhood obesity. Based on LEP methylation, greater green clusters might associate with a decreased risk of childhood obesity, while smaller green clusters showed the opposite.

Keywords: Ambient air pollution; Childhood obesity; DNA methylation; Environmental health; Green space; Leptin.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
Child
Child, Preschool
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Leptin / genetics
Methylation
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pediatric Obesity*

Substances

Leptin
Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter