Air pollution and DNA methylation in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Yuying Wu; Ranran Qie; Min Cheng; Yunhong Zeng; Shengbing Huang; Chunmei Guo; Qionggui Zhou; Quanman Li; Gang Tian; Minghui Han; Yanyan Zhang; Xiaoyan Wu; Yang Li; Yang Zhao; Xingjin Yang; Yifei Feng; Dechen Liu; Pei Qin; Dongsheng Hu; Fulan Hu; Lidan Xu; Ming Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117152

Air pollution and DNA methylation in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Environ Pollut. 2021 Sep 1:284:117152. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117152. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Authors

Yuying Wu¹, Ranran Qie², Min Cheng³, Yunhong Zeng⁴, Shengbing Huang², Chunmei Guo², Qionggui Zhou¹, Quanman Li², Gang Tian², Minghui Han², Yanyan Zhang¹, Xiaoyan Wu¹, Yang Li¹, Yang Zhao², Xingjin Yang², Yifei Feng², Dechen Liu², Pei Qin¹, Dongsheng Hu⁵, Fulan Hu¹, Lidan Xu⁶, Ming Zhang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.
³ Department of Cardiology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Center for Health Management, The Affiliated Shenzhen Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.
⁶ Department of Nutrition, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
⁷ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zhangming1720@sina.com.

PMID: 33895575
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117152

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and DNA methylation in adults from published observational studies. PubMed, Web of Science and Embase databases were systematically searched for available studies on the association between air pollution and DNA methylation published up to March 9, 2021. Three DNA methylation approaches were considered: global methylation, candidate-gene, and epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS). Meta-analysis was used to summarize the combined estimates for the association between air pollutants and global DNA methylation levels. Heterogeneity was assessed with the Cochran Q test and quantified with the I² statistic. In total, 38 articles were included in this study: 16 using global methylation, 18 using candidate genes, and 11 using EWAS, with 7 studies using more than one approach. Meta-analysis revealed an imprecise but inverse association between exposure to PM_2.5 and global DNA methylation (for each 10-μg/m³ PM_2.5, combined estimate: 0.39; 95% confidence interval: 0.97 - 0.19). The candidate-gene results were consistent for the ERCC3 and SOX2 genes, suggesting hypermethylation in ERCC3 associated with benzene and that in SOX2 associated with PM_2.5 exposure. EWAS identified 201 CpG sites and 148 differentially methylated regions that showed differential methylation associated with air pollution. Among the 307 genes investigated in 11 EWAS, a locus in nucleoredoxin gene was found to be positively associated with PM_2.5 in two studies. Current meta-analysis indicates that PM_2.5 is imprecisely and inversely associated with DNA methylation. The candidate-gene results consistently suggest hypermethylation in ERCC3 associated with benzene exposure and that in SOX2 associated with PM_2.5 exposure. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) network analyses revealed that these genes were associated with African trypanosomiasis, Malaria, Antifolate resistance, Graft-versus-host disease, and so on. More evidence is needed to clarify the association between air pollution and DNA methylation.

Keywords: Air pollution; DNA methylation; Meta-analysis; Systematic review.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
DNA Methylation
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Observational Studies as Topic
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter