Metabolomic evaluation of air pollution-related bone damage and potential mediation in Women’s Health Initiative participants
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Ambient air pollution has been associated with bone damage. However, no studies have evaluated the metabolomic response to air pollutants and its potential influence on bone health in postmenopausal women. We analyzed data from Women's Health Initiative (WHI) participants with plasma samples. Whole-body, TH, FN, and spine BMD were determined using DXA at enrollment and follow-up visits (years 1, 3, 6, and 9 visits; Y1, Y3, Y6, Y9, respectively). Geocoded, participant address-specific, daily particulate matter nitrogen oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM10), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations were averaged over 1-, 3-, and 5-yr periods before plasma sampling for metabolomic assessments (at baseline and Y1 visit). The averages were then integrated using masked WHI participant identifiers. Statistical analyses included multivariable-adjusted linear mixed models, pathway analyses, and mediation modeling. At all averaging periods, NO, NO2, and SO2, but not PM10, were associated with taurine, inosine, and C38:4 phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). We found a partial potential mediation of C38:4 PE in the association between 1-yr average NO and LS BMD (p-value: .032). This is the first study suggesting phospholipids may partially mediate air pollution-related bone damage in postmenopausal women.
DOI: 10.1093/jbmr/zjaf059
Authors: Diddier Prada, Vrinda Kalia, Feng Gao, Kathryn Rexrode, Charles Kooperberg, Alex Reiner, Raji Balasubramanian, Hui-Chen Wu, Carolyn J Crandall, Carol Horowitz, David Cantu-de-Leon, Claudia Garcia-Cuellar, Andrea Ramirez, Jonathan González-Ruiz, Duanping Liao, Jeff Yanosky, James D Stewart, Eric A Whitsel, Andrea A Baccarelli
Institutions: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, University of Washington, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Pennsylvania State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harvard University
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Air Particulate Pollution and Stress: Effects and Mechanisms for Long-term Maternal Obesity Risks, G2956494554, Impact of environmental toxicants on AD and ADRD risk in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes study AD/ADRD project, G3761860666, G3845298929, G4608358406, G4782030275, G554960330, G571830633, G5777902738, G6238440229, G6374953548, G6894818919, G7159829730, G7162403406, G7821233859, G8566225511, G8836210513, G9000003843, G9000072249, G9000186066, G9000216859, G9000332725, Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan
OpenAlex ID: W4409765281