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Ambient air pollution and human epigenetic modifications

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This chapter summarized the existing epidemiological evidence about the association between exposure to ambient air pollution and human epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (global DNA methylation, gene-specific DNA methylation, DNA methylation-based biomarkers, mitochondrial DNA methylation), non-coding RNAs, and histone modifications. We found that most of existing studies on this topic focused on DNA methylation. They showed generally consistent finding about the inverse association between ambient air pollution and global DNA methylation. A total of 150 micro RNAs and the methylation status of over 4240 genes have been found to be associated with ambient air pollution, but few of them have been replicated by different studies. Evidence about mitochondrial DNA methylation, DNA methylation-based biomarkers, long non-coding RNAs, and histone modifications remain scarce or inconsistent. We highlighted the value of twin and family study in this rapidly growing field, in terms of adjusting for familial confounding effects and making causal inference.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTwin and Family Studies of Epigenetics
EditorsShuai Li, John L. Hopper
Place of PublicationLondon UK
PublisherElsevier
Chapter17
Pages299-343
Number of pages45
ISBN (Electronic)9780128209516
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Publication series

NameTranslational Epigenetics Series
PublisherElsevier
Volume27

Keywords

  • Ambient air pollution
  • DNA methylation
  • Epigenetic
  • Histone modification
  • Micro RNA
  • Non-coding RNA
  • Twin and family study

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