The identification of reliable biomarkers for chronic exposure to multiple anthropogenic pollutants

Introduction

The identification of reliable biomarkers for chronic exposure to multiple anthropogenic pollutants is crucial for assessing environmental health risks and implementing regulatory measures. Biomarkers can provide early warning signals of adverse biological responses, even at low pollutant concentrations, and help in understanding the mechanisms of toxicity.

Key Insights

Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage Biomarkers:
- Chronic exposure to pollutants often results in oxidative stress and DNA damage, which are common biomarkers used in various studies . These biomarkers include malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide generation, which indicate oxidative stress, and DNA damage markers like the Comet assay and micronucleus test.
Immune and Inflammatory Responses:
- Biomarkers related to immune profile changes and inflammation are frequently used to assess chronic exposure to pollutants. These include alterations in cytokine levels and other immune markers .
Neuroendocrine and Histological Biomarkers:
- Neuroendocrine and histological changes are suggested as reliable biomarkers for chronic pollution exposure. These biomarkers can measure long-term changes in response to pollutants and are useful for regulatory purposes.
Proteomic and Transcriptomic Biomarkers:
- Proteomic analyses have identified specific proteins in lung-lining fluid and other tissues that change in response to chronic pollutant exposure. These include proteins like glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-omega-1 and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Transcriptomic analyses have identified gene expression changes in response to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), providing early detection markers for pollutant exposure.
Epigenetic Biomarkers:
- DNA methylation changes, such as E-cadherin promoter methylation, have been associated with low-dose exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and can serve as epigenetic biomarkers for chronic exposure.
Lipidomic Biomarkers:
- Lipid profile perturbations, including changes in lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), phosphatidylcholines (PCs), and sphingomyelins (SMs), have been identified in children and adolescents exposed to multiple industrial pollutants. These lipidomic changes can serve as early health effect biomarkers.
Circulating miRNAs:
- Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as potential biomarkers for exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). Specific miRNAs are altered in response to different pollutants and can indicate multiple disease risks.
Computational Methods for Biomarker Discovery:
- Advanced computational methods, such as microarray data mining and multivariate epidemiological approaches, have been used to identify highly specific and robust biomarkers for pollutant exposure. These methods can improve the accuracy of biomarker panels and their application in environmental health risk assessment .

Conclusion

The identification of reliable biomarkers for chronic exposure to multiple anthropogenic pollutants involves a multi-faceted approach, incorporating oxidative stress and DNA damage markers, immune and inflammatory responses, neuroendocrine and histological changes, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses, epigenetic modifications, lipidomic profiles, and circulating miRNAs. Advanced computational methods enhance the discovery and validation of these biomarkers, providing valuable tools for environmental health risk assessment and regulatory purposes.

The identification of reliable biomarkers for chronic exposure to multiple anthropogenic pollutants

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

A Curated Review of Recent Literature of Biomarkers Used for Assessing Air Pollution Exposures and Effects in Humans

Air pollution research has identified 234 biomarkers for assessing exposure and effects in humans, with 54% relating to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 36% volatile organic carbons, and 10% classified as other.

A Proposal for the Use of Biomarkers for the Assessment of Chronic Pollution and in Regulatory Toxicology

Biomarkers can effectively assess chronic pollution and help understand complex exposure-response relationships, with proper study site selection, experimental replication, and calibration minimizing variability.

Computational method for discovery of biomarker signatures from large, complex data sets

Our computational methodology efficiently discovers reliable biomarker panels from large multivariate data sets, enabling accurate diagnostic biomarker panels for exposure to various toxicity hazards and potential medical applications.

Novel computational identification of highly selective biomarkers of pollutant exposure.

A microarray data mining approach can identify highly specific biomarkers for environmental pollution exposure, with robustness properties that can remain stable under diverse environmental conditions.

Pulmonary Biomarkers Based on Alterations in Protein Expression after Exposure to Arsenic

Chronic exposure to arsenic alters protein expression in lung-lining fluid, potentially identifying new biomarkers for human diseases.

Characteristic molecular signature for early detection and prediction of persistent organic pollutants in rat liver.

Molecular signatures in rat liver tissues can accurately predict early exposure to persistent organic pollutants, aiding in environmental assessment and prediction of toxicity.

Biomarkers of Environmental Pollutants

This special issue highlights the development of sensitive biomarkers for environmental pollutants, aiding in early warning signals and risk assessment for organisms and ecosystems.

Short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution reveals a compound-specific circulating miRNA profile indicating multiple disease risks.

Circulating miRNA profiles associated with traffic-related air pollution show potential as a novel biomarker for health risk assessment.

Association of low-dose exposure to persistent organic pollutants with E-cadherin promoter methylation in healthy Koreans

CDH1 methylation may serve as an epigenetic biomarker associated with low-dose exposure to persistent organic pollutants and adverse health effects in healthy Koreans.

Lipidomics of children and adolescents exposed to multiple industrial pollutants.

Elevated multiple industrial pollutants exposure in children and adolescents is linked to increased oxidative stress biomarkers and deregulated serum acylcarnitines, potentially impacting their early health effects.

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