Associations between persistent organic pollutants exposure and DNA methylation aging biomarkers: insights from a nationally representative study.

Ya-Qian Xu, Yulu Gong, Chongyu Ding, Hui Zhang, Darong Hao, Xuetong Zhao, Jing Wang, Tianlang Tong, Xiangwei Li

School of Global Health, Chinese Centre for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.School of Global Health, Chinese Centre for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are environmental contaminants linked to adverse health outcomes, but their impact on epigenetic aging remains incompletely characterized. This study investigated associations between serum concentrations of POPs and DNA methylation (DNAm)-based age acceleration using twelve established epigenetic clocks in 815 U.S. adults aged ≥50 years from NHANES 1999-2002. POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), were quantified using high-resolution gas chromatography/ isotope- dilution high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGS/ID-HRMS), and age acceleration was estimated using multiple DNAm algorithms. The findings revealed bidirectional associations: while most PCBs exhibited inverse correlations with epigenetic age acceleration (e.g. PCB74 with HorvathAgeAcc: β = -1.08, 95% CI: -1.69, -0.46), certain furans and OCPs demonstrated positive associations with HorvathTelo acceleration (e.g. 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF: β = 0.04,

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Research summary

The paper claims that certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are associated with DNA methylation-based age acceleration in adults. This research is relevant as it explores the relationship between environmental factors and epigenetic aging, potentially contributing to understanding the biological mechanisms of aging.

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