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Occupational exposure to gases/fumes and mineral dust affect DNA methylation levels of genes regulating expression.

ABSTRACT: Many workers are daily exposed to occupational agents like gases/fumes, mineral dust or biological dust, which could induce adverse health effects. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, have been suggested to play a role. We therefore aimed to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) upon occupational exposures in never-smokers and investigated if these DMRs associated with gene expression levels. To determine the effects of occupational exposures independent of smoking, 903 never-smokers of the LifeLines cohort study were included. We performed three genome-wide methylation analyses (Illumina 450 K), one per occupational exposure being gases/fumes, mineral dust and biological dust, using robust linear regression adjusted for appropriate confounders. DMRs were identified using comb-p in Python. Results were validated in the Rotterdam Study (233 never-smokers) and methylation-expression associations were assessed using Biobank-based Integrative Omics Study data (n?=?2802). Of the total 21 significant DMRs, 14 DMRs were associated with gases/fumes and 7 with mineral dust. Three of these DMRs were associated with both exposures (RPLP1 and LINC02169 (2×)) and 11 DMRs were located within transcript start sites of gene expression regulating genes. We replicated two DMRs with gases/fumes (VTRNA2-1 and GNAS) and one with mineral dust (CCDC144NL). In addition, nine gases/fumes DMRs and six mineral dust DMRs significantly associated with gene expression levels. Our data suggest that occupational exposures may induce differential methylation of gene expression regulating genes and thereby may induce adverse health effects. Given the millions of workers that are exposed daily to occupational exposures, further studies on this epigenetic mechanism and health outcomes are warranted.

SUBMITTER: van der Plaat DA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6643643 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Occupational exposure to gases/fumes and mineral dust affect DNA methylation levels of genes regulating expression.

van der Plaat Diana A DA Vonk Judith M JM Terzikhan Natalie N de Jong Kim K de Vries Maaike M La Bastide-van Gemert Sacha S van Diemen Cleo C CC Lahousse Lies L Brusselle Guy G GG Nedeljkovic Ivana I Amin Najaf N Kromhout Hans H Vermeulen Roel C H RCH Postma Dirkje S DS van Duijn Cornelia M CM Boezen H Marike HM

Human molecular genetics 20190801 15

Many workers are daily exposed to occupational agents like gases/fumes, mineral dust or biological dust, which could induce adverse health effects. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, have been suggested to play a role. We therefore aimed to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) upon occupational exposures in never-smokers and investigated if these DMRs associated with gene expression levels. To determine the effects of occupational exposures independent of smoking, 903 n ...[more]

PMID: 31152171

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Project description:BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and therefore the identification of the modifiable risk factors [such as exposure to vapors, gases, dust and fumes (VGDF)] for accelerate disease progression has important significance.MethodsWe conducted COPD surveillance in six cities of southern China between 2014 and 2019. We recorded the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, respiratory symptoms, occupational exposure to VGDF and other covariates by using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression and multivariate linear regression model were adopted for analysis. We performed sensitivity analyses based on two methods of propensity score (PS) methods to evaluate the robustness of our results.ResultsA total of 7,418 participants were included. Cough [odds ratios (ORs): 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 to 2.08] and phlegm (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.85) correlated significantly with exposure to dust. There was an increased risk of cough (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.07) for occupational exposure to gas/vapor/fume. Dual exposure to dust and gas/vapor/fume was associated with a significantly increased risk of chronic bronchitis (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.52), cough (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.79) and phlegm (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.79). In 5,249 participants with complete data of spirometry, gas/vapor/fume was associated with a decreased ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) (β: -1.05, 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.26) and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) (β: -0.15, 95% CI: -0.23 to -0.07). Dual exposure to dust and gas/vapor/fume was significantly associated with decreased FEV1/FVC (β: -0.74, 95% CI: -1.28 to -0.20) and MMEF (β: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.12 to -0.01). Results of sensitivity analysis were not materially changed.ConclusionsVGDF exposure is associated with chronic bronchitis, respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function, suggesting that VGDF contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of COPD.

Project description:Objectives: To evaluate the ability of three different job title classification systems to identify subjects at risk for respiratory symptoms and asthma by also taking the effect of exposure to vapours, gas, dust, and fumes (VGDF) into account. Background: Respiratory symptoms and asthma may be caused by occupational factors. There are different ways to classify occupational exposure. In this study, self-reported occupational exposure to vapours, gas, dust and fumes was used as well as job titles classifed into occupational and socioeconomic Groups according to three different systems. Design: This was a large population-based study of adults aged 30-69 years in Northern Sweden (n = 9,992, 50% women). Information on job titles, VGDF-exposure, smoking habits, asthma and respiratory symptoms was collected by a postal survey. Job titles were used for classification into socioeconomic and occupational groups based on three classification systems; Socioeconomic classification (SEI), the Nordic Occupations Classification 1983 (NYK), and the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations 2012 (SSYK). Associations were analysed by multivariable logistic regression. Results: Occupational exposure to VGDF was a risk factor for all respiratory symptoms and asthma (odds ratios (ORs) 1.3-2.4). Productive cough was associated with the socioeconomic groups of manual workers (ORs 1.5-2.1) and non-manual employees (ORs 1.6-1.9). These groups include occupations such as construction and transportation workers, service workers, nurses, teachers and administration clerks which by the SSYK classification were associated with productive cough (ORs 2.4-3.7). Recurrent wheeze was significantly associated with the SEI group manual workers (ORs 1.5-1.7). After adjustment for also VGDF, productive cough remained significantly associated with the SEI groups manual workers in service and non-manual employees, and the SSYK-occupational groups administration, service, and elementary occupations. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, two of the three different classification systems, SSYK and SEI gave similar results and identified groups with increased risk for respiratory symptoms while NYK did not give conclusive results. Furthermore, several associations were independent of exposure to VGDF indicating that also other job-related factors than VGDF are of importance.

Project description:Dust and fumes are complex mixtures of airborne gases and fine particles present in all environments inhabited by people. This study investigated the relationship between occupational dust exposure levels and mental health problems such as depression or anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia or sleep disturbance. We analyzed data from the third and fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) conducted by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency in 2011 and 2014. We performed chi-square tests to compare the different baseline and occupational characteristics and mental health status according to occupational dust exposure levels. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for mental health symptoms (fatigue, depression or anxiety, and insomnia or sleep disturbance) were calculated using adjusted multiple logistic regression models. A total of 78,512 participants (43,979 in men, 34,533 in women) were included in this study. Among them, 6,013 (7.7%) and 2,625 (3.3%) reported "moderate" and "severe" dust exposure, respectively. Among those who answered "yes" to depression or anxiety, fatigue, insomnia or sleep disturbance, 50 (4.6%), 961 (4.8%), and 123 (5.9%), respectively, demonstrated "severe" occupational dust exposure. Compared to "low" levels of dust exposure, "moderate" and "severe" exposure increased the risk of depression and anxiety (OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.88-1.36; OR = 1.16, 95%CI: 0.87-1.58, per exposure respectively); however, this was not statistically significant. For fatigue, significance was observed for "moderate" 1.54 (1.46-1.64) and "severe" 1.65 (1.52-1.80) exposure levels. "Severe" levels increased the risk of insomnia or sleep disturbance (OR = 1.52, 95%CI: 1.25-1.85). These results suggest that the "dust annoyance" concept of mental health, which may be explained by a neurocognitive mechanism, is plausible. Occupational "dust annoyance" has been linked to workers' mental health status, particularly in terms of fatigue and sleep disturbance; a dose-response relationship has been observed. Workers should be protected against dust to support their health and productivity.

Project description:During production, thermally modified wood is processed using the same machining operations as unmodified wood. Machining wood is always accompanied with the creation of dust particles. The smaller they become, the more hazardous they are. Employees are exposed to a greater health hazard when machining thermally modified wood because a considerable amount of fine dust is produced under the same processing conditions than in the case of unmodified wood. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) states that wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and of the nasopharynx. Wood dust is also associated with toxic effects, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, dermatitis, and respiratory system effects which include decreased lung capacity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and allergic reactions. In our research, granular composition of particles resulting from the process of longitudinal milling of heat-treated oak and spruce wood under variable conditions (i.e., the temperature of modification of 160, 180, 200 and 220 °C and feed rate of 6, 10 and 15 m.min-1) are presented in the paper. Sieve analysis was used to determine the granular composition of particles. An increase in fine particle fraction when the temperature of modification rises was confirmed by the research. This can be due to the lower strength of thermally modified wood. Moreover, a different effect of the temperature modification on granularity due to the tree species was observed. In the case of oak wood, changes occurred at a temperature of 160 °C and in the case of spruce wood, changes occurred at the temperatures of 200 and 220 °C. At the temperatures of modification of 200 and 220 °C, the dust fraction (i.e., that occurred in the mesh sieves, particles with the size ? 0.08 mm) ranged from 2.99% (oak wood, feed rate of 10 m.min-1) to 8.07% (spruce wood, feed rate of 6 m.min-1). Such particles might have a harmful effect on employee health in wood-processing facilities.

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Occupational exposure to gases/fumes and mineral dust affect DNA methylation levels of genes regulating expression.

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Occupational exposure to gases/fumes and mineral dust affect DNA methylation levels of genes regulating expression.

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