Histidine Metabolic Pathway Modifies the Relationships Between 6:2 Cl-PFESA Exposure and Preterm Birth

Toxics · 2026-01-30 · 1 citations

Background: Evidence linking chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acids (Cl-PFESAs) to preterm birth (PTB) is limited, and their relationships with the metabolome remain unexplored. Aims: Our study aimed to explore the role of the metabolome in the associations between Cl-PFESAs exposure and PTB. Methods: We conducted a nested case–control study in the Shenyang birth cohort, which included 206 spontaneous preterm birth cases and 206 full-term controls, matched for maternal age and pre-pregnancy BMI. We used conditional logistic regression models to analyze the associations between Cl-PFESAs exposure in umbilical cord blood and PTB. Moreover, the metabolomics of maternal blood (44 cases) between the preterm and control groups was analyzed using the interaction analysis. Results: We observed that a higher natural log-transformed 6:2 Cl-PFESA level was associated with greater odds of PTB in conditional multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models (OR = 1.738, 95% CI: 1.320, 2.287). The results of metabolomics pathway analysis showed that histidine metabolism pathways may modify the above risk. When stratified by histidine levels, the association between cord blood 6:2 Cl-PFESA and PTB was different. Conclusions: Intrauterine exposure to 6:2 Cl-PFESA was associated with increased PTB. Also, for the first time, our study illustrates that maternal plasma metabolite profiles may modify the associations of 6:2 Cl-PFESA with PTB. More research is needed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the reproductive toxicity of 6:2 Cl-PFESA in pregnant women following exposure.

Corrigendum to “Differentiating the effects of air pollution on daily mortality counts and years of life lost in six Chinese megacities” [Science of the Total Environment, 827, (2022), 154037]

The Science of The Total Environment · 2026-03-01

Prenatal exposure to phthalates and alternative plasticizers and emotional and behavioral outcomes in early childhood in the Environmental influences on Child Health outcomes (ECHO) cohort

UNC Libraries · 2026-03-05

Evaluation of an Asthma Home Visiting Program in the State of Illinois, 2020–2023

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice · 2026-04-17

CONTEXT: Asthma Home Visiting (HV) programs offer community-based education and environmental interventions to improve asthma control and reduce health care use. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the health, quality of life (QoL), and cost outcomes of a multi-site asthma HV program implemented across Illinois from 2020 to 2023. DESIGN: Cross-sectional program evaluation using pre- and post- intervention comparisons of health outcomes and health care utilization data. SETTING: Four Illinois-based HV programs supported by the Illinois Department of Public Health and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 209 participants (58.4% children) with physician-diagnosed asthma who received HV services between 2020 and 2023. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, QoL indicators (Asthma Control Rating, ACT scores, and missed school/workdays), and program cost-benefit ratio. RESULTS: ED visits declined from 17.8% to 6% ( P < .05), and hospitalizations from 7.6% to 0% ( P < .05). QoL indicators improved significantly, with ACT well-controlled scores increasing from 24.8% to 45.4%. Estimated annual savings totaled $1.4 million, exceeding program costs of $1.04 million (benefit-cost ratio = 1.34). CONCLUSIONS: The Illinois asthma HV program improved health outcomes and reduced health care utilization, supporting its inclusion in comprehensive asthma care strategies.

Prenatal organophosphate ester exposure and epigenetic changes at birth: a characterization of the methylome in the ECHO cohort

Environment International · 2025-11-01

• Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a class of flame retardants and plasticizers. • We examined DNA methylation at birth associated with prenatal OPE biomarkers. • Prenatal exposure to certain OPEs was associated with global hypomethylation. • Differential methylation occurred in two genes instrumental to early development. • Sex-specific differences were found in global and gestational epigenetic age. Prenatal exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs) affects multiple child health domains. Alterations to the DNA methylome are a plausible mechanism through which these changes occur. This study characterized DNA methylation signatures at birth associated with prenatal OPE biomarkers. We included 736 mother-infant pairs from 7 sites in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. Five OPE biomarkers were quantified in maternal urine samples collected during the second and third trimesters and modeled as log 2 -transformed continuous variables. Using covariate-adjusted linear regression, we tested associations between OPE biomarkers and locus-specific, regional, and global cord blood DNA methylation changes measured by Illumina 450 K and EPIC arrays, and gestational epigenetic age measured by the Knight gestational age epigenetic clock generated with measures from the 27 K, 450 K, and EPIC arrays. When feasible, we examined relationships by sex. Global hypomethylation at multiple regions was associated with BDCPP concentrations (p = 0.003 to 0.02, coef = -0.002). Differentially methylated regions annotated to PCDHGB1 and SLC43A2 were associated with BDCPP and DPHP concentrations, respectively (FDR q < 0.05). In sex-specific analyses, global hypomethylation was associated with prenatal BDCPP (p = 0.006 to 0.03, coef = -0.0003 to −0.0002) and DBUP_DIBP (p = 0.01, coef = -0.0007 to −0.0006) concentrations in females; and global hypermethylation was associated with DBUP_DIBP concentrations in males (p < 0.05, coef = 0.0004). BCETP concentrations were significantly associated with decelerated epigenetic aging at birth in females (p < 0.05, coef = -0.05). Prenatal exposure to OPEs impacts child methylation at birth, suggesting a potential mechanism for the association between prenatal OPE exposure and child health outcomes.

Prenatal exposure to environmental phenolic compounds and their association with childhood atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis in the ECHO cohort

Environment International · 2025-10-25

• Prenatal urinary levels of parabens were associated with increased odds of early childhood atopic dermatitis. • Among girls, prenatal levels of parabens, benzophenones and bisphenol S had stronger associations with atopic dermatitis. • Among girls, prenatal levels of benzophenones showed higher odds of being associated with allergic rhinitis. • Prenatal pentachlorophenol levels were associated with lower odds of allergic rhinitis and benzophenones with lower odds of asthma. Phenolic compounds may be harmful to the developing fetus, but many have not been studied in-depth for adverse childhood allergic and respiratory health effects. We hypothesized that higher levels of phenolic compounds in prenatal spot urine would be associated with greater odds of childhood atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma, and that child sex may modify these associations. 3198 mother–child paired cases were enrolled from 16 cohorts in the U.S. ECHO consortium. Fifteen phenols (e.g. benzophenones, parabens, bisphenols, triclosans) were measured from mother’s urine during pregnancy using a multi-class chemical panel. Childhood outcomes included parent-reported atopic dermatitis (1466 mother–child pairs) between ages 0–3 years, and allergic rhinitis (901 mother–child pairs) and asthma (1662 mother–child pairs) between ages 5–9 years. Prenatal parabens were associated with increased odds of atopic dermatitis (odds ratio (OR) 1.13, 95 % confidence intervals (CI) 1.02, 1.26). Benzophenones were associated with lower odds of asthma (OR 0.77, CI 0.66, 0.90). Compared to boys, girls demonstrated higher odds of parabens (1.21, CI 1.04, 1.42), benzophenones (1.18, CI 1.00, 1.38) and bisphenol S (1.21, CI 1.03, 1.43) being associated with atopic dermatitis, and of the benzophenones (1.46, CI 1.11, 1.93) being associated with allergic rhinitis. An association of benzophenones (0.66, CI 0.53, 0.83) with lower odds of asthma was stronger among boys. These findings suggest that prenatal paraben and other phenol exposures may adversely affect early-life allergic and respiratory outcomes, with sex-specific vulnerability. Novel, multi-modality approaches to reduce maternal phenol exposure during pregnancy are urgently needed to protect children’s health.

Examining the association between gestational phenol exposure and infant non-nutritive suck in two Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes cohorts

Environmental Epidemiology · 2025-06-13 · 2 citations

Background: Non-nutritive suck (NNS) is a measure of neurofunction sensitive to environmental exposures in utero. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between gestational phenol exposure and NNS patterning. Methods: Mother-infant pairs from two diverse prospective cohorts were enrolled in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program. Phenols were measured in prenatal maternal urine samples and adjusted for specific gravity. NNS was sampled in 1-8-week-old infants using a custom pacifier for ~5 minutes. Associations of 11 phenols and triclocarban with 5 NNS outcomes were assessed individually and as a mixture using generalized linear models adjusted for cohort, child sex and assessment age, and maternal age and education. Results: Altogether, 215 mother-infant pairs were included. Bisphenol-F was related to a lower NNS frequency. Triclosan was associated with a higher NNS frequency. Propylparaben, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,5-dichlorophenol were associated with lower NNS amplitude. Benzophenone-3, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,5-dichlorophenol were related to more NNS bursts/minute. Propylparaben was associated with more NNS cycles/bursts. Seven phenols were included in mixture analyses: 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, benzophenone-3, bisphenol-A, bisphenol-S, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Both Bayesian kernel machine regression and quantile g-computation showed that higher concentrations of the mixture were associated with lower amplitude but more bursts/minute and cycles/burst. Propylparaben was important in the overall mixture effect on amplitude, whereas benzophenone-3 was important in the relationship with bursts/minute. Conclusions: Gestational phenol exposure is linked to altered NNS patterning in neonates. Future work should further investigate phenol mixture effects, potential mechanisms, and the association of altered NNS with neurodevelopment.

Racial and ethnic disparities in environmental chemical exposures and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: The ECHO-wide cohort study

Environmental Pollution · 2025-12-02 · 1 citations

Environmental phenol mixture during pregnancy and child sleep quality in the ECHO cohort

Frontiers in Pediatrics · 2025-08-08

Introduction Poor sleep quality in childhood can predict sleep quality throughout the lifecourse and other health outcomes. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can affect adults’ sleep quality, and prenatal phenol exposure impacts fetal development. Objective To assess associations between prenatal phenol concentrations and child sleep outcomes. Methods We used data from the National Institutes of Health-funded Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort ( n = 1,198) that were collected from 2008 to 2019 at several sites across the United States. The present analysis was conducted in 2023–2024. Using single-pollutant and mixture models, we examined associations between prenatal phenol concentrations and three key child sleep quality outcomes: sleep problems, disturbance, and impairment. Child sleep outcomes were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment scales. Unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted models were examined, with stratified models and interaction terms used to examine interactions with child sex. Results Of the eight phenols assessed, higher prenatal methylparaben concentrations were associated with lower child sleep-related impairment scores ( β = −4.79, 95% CI: −9.45 to −0.14). Sex modified the associations for benzophenone-3 and PROMIS sleep disturbance T-scores, where the association was stronger among boys (tertile 3 vs. 1, β = 3.20; 95% CI: 0.27–6.14; p = 0.033) and did not persist among girls. Bisphenol A was associated with sleep-related impairment among boys (tertile 2 vs. 1, β = −5.69; 95% CI: 0.55–10.82; p = 0.031). Phenol mixtures were not associated with sleep outcomes overall or by sex. Conclusion The findings suggest that phenol exposure during pregnancy may be associated with child sleep quality and that child sex modifies this association.

Asthma and depression in older American adults: An analysis of Medicare recipients

Respiratory Care Reports · 2025-12-04

Background Individuals with asthma are disproportionately affected by depression relative to those without asthma. However, this relationship in those ≥65 years of age with asthma remains unclear. This study aims to determine the association between asthma and depression in individuals aged ≥65 receiving Medicare support. Methods A pooled cross-sectional analysis of Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data examined the association between asthma and depression from 2018 to 2020. Depression was defined as a score of ≥10 from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Disease-related variables were recorded if the subject met Medicare claims criteria for the calendar year regardless of sufficient fee-for-service coverage. Adjusted regression models were developed to determine the association between prevalent asthma, comorbidities, gender, area deprivation index, and depression. Results Among 31,064 individuals available for analysis, the weighted prevalence of depression in subjects with asthma was 38.6%. The adjusted regression model indicated that asthma was not independently associated with depression in this population (odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.96–1.45]). Subjects with asthma and anxiety (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.06–1.16]), cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.15–1.32]), or diabetes (OR = 1.30, 95% CI [1.24–1.36]) were more likely to report concomitant depression. Women ≥65 years of age with asthma had greater odds of reporting depression compared to men with asthma (OR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.06–1.12]). Conclusions Based on our findings, in older adults in the United States, asthma is not independently associated with greater odds of depression when compared to those without asthma.