Grant Number:
Principal Investigator:
Herbstman, Julie B
Institution:
Columbia University
Most Recent Award Year:
2009
Lifestage of Participants:
Exposure:
Prenatal; Adulthood (mother)
Assessment:
Infant (0-1 year); Youth (1-18 years)
Exposures:
Air Pollutants:
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Health Outcomes:
Birth Outcomes:
Birthweight; Gestational age; Birth length; Head circumference
Neurological/Cognitive Outcomes:
Neurodevelopmental outcomes
Biological Sample:
Cord blood
Environmental Sample:
Air sample
Epigenetic Mechanisms Studied:
DNA methylation
Abstract:
The primary goal of this research is to evaluate the impact of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on genome-wide epigenetic methylation patterns measured in cord blood samples of sibling-pairs. In utero exposure to PAHs, which are common traffic-related air pollutants, is an established risk factor for adverse birth outcomes, neurodevelopmental deficits, the development of childhood asthma, and markers of precancerous DNA damage. Epigenetic changes, including CpG methylation, are potential mechanisms by which environmental exposures like PAH can alter gene expression, leading to these adverse outcomes. However, it is also clear that some observed differences in methylation measured in umbilical cord blood are the result of factors other than prenatal PAH exposure. During the independent phase of this K99-R00 award, I propose to use the techniques I have learned during the mentored phase to explore the association between prenatal PAH exposure and epigenetic changes by comparing the methylation signature of full and half siblings. Using a paired approach, this design enables a more careful assessment of the impact of PAH exposure on epigenetic markers by controlling unmeasured confounding resulting from partially shared environmental, epigenetic, and genetic characteristics of siblings, which is not possible in a study of unrelated children. The specific aims are to: 1) compare the genome-wide methylation patterns in the cord blood samples of full and half siblings using bioinformatics methods; 2) evaluate the effect of prenatal PAH exposure on the epigenetic methylation signatures of sibling-pairs; 3) explore the association between birth outcomes, including gestational age, birth weight, birth length, and head circumference and PAH-related epigenetic methylation patterns in sibling-pairs; 4) explore whether PAH-related epigenetic methylation signatures mediate the observed relationship between prenatal PAH exposure and adverse birth outcomes in sibling-pairs; and 5) To evaluate the association between PAH-related methylation patterns measured in cord blood and three year developmental outcomes.
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Related NIEHS-Funded Study Populations
New York City Mothers and Newborns Study
Principal Investigator:
Perera, Frederica
| Study Population Page Study Population c25
Institution:
Columbia University
Location:
New York, New York
Number of Participants::
~725 Mother-infant pairs
Brief Description::
This is a birth cohort study of minority mothers and children in New York City that examines the effects of early life exposures to air pollutants, environmental tobacco smoke, pesticides, and endocrine disrupting chemicals on children's neurodevelopment, respiratory health, growth, and development. The study has recruited approximately 725 pregnant mothers since 1998.