Archived Scientific Papers
1998 - 2013
2013
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure, obesity and childhood asthma in an urban cohort
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: December 27, 2013
Background: Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from traffic emissions and other combustion sources, and childhood obesity, have been implicated as risk factors for developing asthma. However, the interaction between these two on asthma among young urban children has not been studied previously. Methods: Exposure to early childhood PAHs was measured […]
Citation: Jung KH, Perzanowski M, Rundle A, et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure, obesity and childhood asthma in an urban cohort. Environ Res. Jan 2014;128:35-41.
Air pollution effects on fetal and child development: A cohort comparison in China
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: November 13, 2013
In Tongliang, China, a coal-fired power plant was the major pollution source until its shutdown in 2004. We enrolled two cohorts of nonsmoking women and their newborns before and after the shutdown to examine the relationship between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fetal and child growth and development. PAHs were used to […]
Citation: Tang D, Li TY, Chow JC, et al. Air pollution effects on fetal and child development: A cohort comparison in China. Environ Pollut. Nov 12 2013;185C:90-96.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: October 31, 2013
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a class of chemicals common in the environment. Certain PAH are carcinogenic, although the degree to which genetic variation influences susceptibility to carcinogenic PAH remains unclear. Also unknown is the influence of genetic variation on the procarcinogenic effect of in utero exposures to PAH. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a well-studied PAH […]
Citation: Iyer S, Perera F, Zhang B, Chanock S, Wang S, Tang D. Significant interactions between maternal PAH exposure and haplotypes in candidate genes on B[a]P-DNA adducts in a NYC cohort of non-smoking African-American and Dominican mothers and newborns. Carcinogenesis. Nov 14 2013.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: October 24, 2013
The goal of this epidemiologic investigation was to analyze the associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and severity of wheeze and recurrent wheeze. The 257 children included in this analysis had a complete set of prenatal and postnatal PAH measurements and attended regular health checkups over a 4-year follow-up […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Majewska R, et al. Separate and joint effects of tranplacental and postnatal inhalatory exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Prospective birth cohort study on wheezing events. Pediatr Pulmonol. Oct 24 2013.
Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution, Maternal Psychological Distress, and Child Behavior
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: October 7, 2013
BACKGROUND: Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants generated by combustion of fossil fuel and other organic material. Both prenatal PAH exposure and maternal psychological distress during pregnancy have each been associated with neurodevelopmental problems in children. The goal was to evaluate potential interactions between prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs and maternal psychological distress during […]
Citation: Perera FP, Wang S, Rauh V, et al. Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution, Maternal Psychological Distress, and Child Behavior. Pediatrics. 2013.
Predictors and Consequences of Global DNA Methylation in Cord Blood and at Three Years
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: September 4, 2013
DNA methylation changes have been implicated in many common chronic diseases leading to the hypothesis that environmental and age-related DNA methylation changes within individuals are involved in disease etiology. Few studies have examined DNA methylation changes within an individual over time and all of these studies have been conducted in adults. Here, we aim to […]
Citation: Herbstman JB, Wang S, Perera FP, et al. Predictors and Consequences of Global DNA Methylation in Cord Blood and at Three Years. PLOS ONE. 2013.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: May 28, 2013
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic endocrine disruptor widely used in the production of plastics. Increasing evidence indicates that in utero BPA exposure affects sexual differentiation and behavior; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are unknown. We hypothesized that BPA may disrupt epigenetic programming of gene expression in the brain. Here, we provide evidence that […]
Citation: Kundakovic M, Gudsnuk K, Franks B, et al. Sex-specific epigenetic disruption and behavioral changes following low-dose in utero bisphenol A exposure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. May 28 2013.
Prenatal and postnatal bisphenol A exposure and asthma development among inner-city children
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: March 1, 2013
BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is used widely to manufacture food container linings. Mouse models suggest exposure to BPA might increase allergic inflammation. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that BPA exposure, as assessed based on urinary BPA concentrations, would be associated with increased odds of wheeze and asthma and increased fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (Feno) values in […]
Citation: Donohue KM, Miller RL, Perzanowski MS, et al. Prenatal and postnatal bisphenol A exposure and asthma development among inner-city children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Mar 2013;131(3):736-742 e736.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: February 20, 2013
Childhood cognitive and test-taking abilities have long-term implications for educational achievement and health, and may be influenced by household environmental exposures and neighborhood contexts. This study evaluates whether age 5 scores on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R, administered in English) are associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and neighborhood context […]
Citation: Lovasi GS, Eldred-Skemp N, Quinn JW, et al. Neighborhood Social Context and Individual Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposures Associated with Child Cognitive Test Scores. J Child Fam Stud. Jul 1 2014;23(5):785-799.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: February 6, 2013
Background: Sensitization to cockroach is one of the strongest identified risk factors for greater asthma morbidity in low income urban communities; however, the timing of exposures relevant to the development of sensitization has not been elucidated fully. Furthermore, exposure to combustion byproducts, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), can augment the development of allergic sensitization. Objective: […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Chew GL, Divjan A, et al. Early-life cockroach allergen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures predict cockroach sensitization among inner-city children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Mar 2013;131(3):886-893 e886.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: January 16, 2013
Over the last decades many epidemiologic studies considered the morbidity patterns for respiratory diseases and lung function of children in the context of ambient air pollution usually measured in the postnatal period. The main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the recurrent broncho-pulmonary […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Spengler JD, et al. Intrauterine exposure to fine particulate matter as a risk factor for increased susceptibility to acute broncho-pulmonary infections in early childhood. Int J Hyg Environ Health. Jul 2013;216(4):395-401.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: January 15, 2013
Background: Urban landscape elements, particularly trees, have the potential to affect airflow, air quality, and production of aeroallergens. Several large-scale urban tree planting projects have sought to promote respiratory health, yet evidence linking tree cover to human health is limited. Objectives: We sought to investigate the association of tree canopy cover with subsequent development of […]
Citation: Lovasi GS, O'Neil-Dunne JP, Lu JW, et al. Urban tree canopy and asthma, wheeze, rhinitis, and allergic sensitization to tree pollen in a New York City birth cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2013;121(4):494-500, 500e491-496.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: January 9, 2013
In a birth cohort study, we have assessed the dose-response relationship between individual measurements of prenatal airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and specific PAH–DNA adducts in cord blood adjusted for maternal blood adducts and season of birth. The study uses data from an earlier established birth cohort of children in Krakow. The final analysis […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Tang D, et al. The relationship between prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. Jul 2013;23(4):371-377.
Year Published: 2013, E-Published: January 8, 2013
Background Despite growing concern over potential health effects associated with exposures to the endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A (BPA), insufficient information is available on determinants of BPA concentrations among minority populations in the US. Objectives To describe concentrations and predictors of BPA in an inner-city longitudinal birth cohort. Methods We analyzed spot urines for total BPA […]
Citation: Hoepner LA, Whyatt RM, Just AC, Calafat AM, Perera FP, Rundle AG. Urinary concentrations of bisphenol A in an urban minority birth cohort in New York City, prenatal through age 7 years. Environ Res. Jan 8 2013.
2012
Prenatal Exposure to Butylbenzyl Phthalate and Early Eczema in an Urban Cohort
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: June 26, 2012
Background: Recent cross-sectional studies suggest a link between butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) in house dust and childhood eczema. Objectives: To evaluate whether monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), the main BBzP metabolite in urine, during pregnancy is associated prospectively with eczema in young children, and whether this association varies by the child’s sensitization to indoor allergens or serological evidence […]
Citation: Just AC, Whyatt RM, Perzanowski MS, et al. Prenatal exposure to butylbenzyl phthalate and early eczema in an urban cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2012;120(10):1475-1480.
Urinary napthol metabolites and chromosomal aberrations in 5 yr old children
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: May 9, 2012
Background: Exposure to naphthalene, an IARC-classified possible carcinogen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), is widespread, though resulting health effects are poorly understood. Metabolites of naphthalene, 1- and 2-naphthol, are measurable in urine and are biomarkers of personal exposure. Chromosomal aberrations (CAs), including translocations, are established markers of cancer risk and a bio-dosimeter of clastogenic exposures. […]
Citation: Orjuela M, Liu X, Miller RL, Warburton D, Tang DL, Jobanputra V, Hoepner L, Suen IH, Diaz-Carreno S, Li Z, Sjodin A, Perera F. Urinary napthol metabolites and chromosomal aberrations in 5 yr old children. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. May 9 2012.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: May 7, 2012
Background While exposures to urban fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and soot-black carbon (soot-BC) have been associated with asthma exacerbations, there is limited evidence on whether these pollutants are associated with the new development of asthma or allergy among young inner city children. We hypothesized that childhood exposure to PM2.5 and the soot-BC component would be […]
Citation: Jung KH, Hsu SI, Yan B, Moors K, Chillrud SN, Ross J, Wang S, Perzanowski MS, Kinney PL, Whyatt RM, Perera FP, Miller RL. Childhood exposure to fine particulate matter and black carbon and the development of new wheeze between ages 5 and 7 in an urban prospective cohort. Environ Int. May 7 2012;45C:44-50
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: May 4, 2012
Background: Maternal factors are implicated in the onset of childhood asthma. Differentiation of naïve CD4+ T lymphocytes into pro-allergic T helper 2 cells induces interleukin (IL)4 expression and inhibits interferon (IFN)γ expression accompanied by concordant methylation changes in the promoters of these genes. However, it has yet to be established if maternal exposure to polycyclic […]
Citation: Tang WY, Levin L, Talaska G, Cheung YY, Herbstman J, Tang D, Miller RL, Perera F, Ho SM. Maternal Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and 5'-CpG Methylation of Interferon-gamma in Cord White Blood Cells. Environ Health Perspect. May 4 2012.
Brain anomalies in children exposed prenatally to a common organophosphate pesticide
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: April 30, 2012
Prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF), an organophosphate insecticide, is associated with neurobehavioral deficits in humans and animal models. We investigated associations between CPF exposure and brain morphology using magnetic resonance imaging in 40 children, 5.9–11.2 y, selected from a nonclinical, representative community-based cohort. Twenty high-exposure children (upper tertile of CPF concentrations in umbilical cord blood) […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Perera FP, Horton MK, Whyatt RM, Bansal R, Hao X, Liu J, Barr DB, Slotkin TA, Peterson BS. Brain anomalies in children exposed prenatally to a common organophosphate pesticide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Apr 30 2012.
Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure and Child Behavior in an Inner City Cohort
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: April 27, 2012
Analysis was conducted on 198 children (87 boys and 111 girls). Among boys, high prenatal BPA exposure (highest quartile versus the lowest three quartiles) was associated with significantly higher CBCL scores (more problems) on Emotionally Reactive (1.62 times greater, 95% CI 1.13-2.32) and Aggressive Behavior syndromes (1.29 times greater, 95% CI 1.09, 1.53). Among girls, […]
Citation: Perera F, Vishnevetsky J, Herbstman JB, Calafat AM, Xiong W, Rauh V, Wang S. Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure and Child Behavior in an Inner City Cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 27 2012.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: April 24, 2012
Background: Although the entire duration of fetal development is generally considered a highly susceptible period, it is of public health interest to determine a narrower window of heightened vulnerability to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in humans. We posited that exposure to PAHs during the first trimester impairs fetal growth more severely than a similar level […]
Citation: Choi H, Wang L, Lin X, Spengler JD, Perera FP. Fetal Window of Vulnerability to Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Proportional Intrauterine Growth Restriction. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(4):e35464.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: April 13, 2012
There are concerns that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals increases children’s risk of obesity. African-American and Hispanic children born in the Bronx or Northern Manhattan, New York (1998–2006), whose mothers underwent personal air monitoring for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure during pregnancy, were followed up to ages 5 (n ¼ 422) and 7 (n ¼ […]
Citation: Rundle A, Hoepner L, Hassoun A, Oberfield S, Freyer G, Holmes D, Reyes M, Quinn J, Camann D, Perera F, Whyatt R. Association of Childhood Obesity With Maternal Exposure to Ambient Air Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons During Pregnancy. Am J Epidemiol. Apr 13 2012.
Prenatal Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure and Child Behavior at age 6-7
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: March 22, 2012
Abstract Background: Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are widespread urban air pollutants from fossil fuel burning and other combustion sources. We previously reported that a broad spectrum of combustion-related DNA adducts in cord blood was associated with attention problems at age 6-7 in the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) longitudinal cohort study. Objectives: […]
Citation: Perera, F. P., D. Tang, et al. (2012). "Prenatal Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure and Child Behavior at age 6-7." Environ Health Perspect.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: March 2, 2012
Objective: This study of a birth cohort in the city of Tongliang in Chongqing, China, evaluated the relationship between two prenatal exposures (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) ) and child intelligence quotient (IQ) as measured by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence at age 5 years. A coal-fired power […]
Citation: Perera F, Li TY, Lin C, Tang D. Effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and environmental tobacco smoke on child IQ in a Chinese cohort. Environ Res. Apr 2012;114:40-46.
Domestic airborne black carbon and exhaled nitric oxide in children in NYC
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: February 29, 2012
Differential exposure to combustion by-products and allergens may partially explain the marked disparity in asthma prevalence (3 –18%) among New York City neighborhoods. Subclinical changes in airway inflammation can be measured by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). FeNO could be used to test independent effects of these environmental exposures on airway inflammation. Seven- and eight-year-old […]
Citation: Cornell, A. G., S. N. Chillrud, et al. (2012). "Domestic airborne black carbon and exhaled nitric oxide in children in NYC." J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: February 9, 2012
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) is a recognized risk factor for elevated blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease in adults, and this prospective cohort study was undertaken to evaluate whether gestational exposure to PM2.5 has a prohypertensive effect. We measured personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by personal air monitoring in the second […]
Citation: Jedrychowski, W. A., F. P. Perera, et al. (2012). "Prohypertensive Effect of Gestational Personal Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter. Prospective Cohort Study in Non-smoking and Non-obese Pregnant Women." Cardiovasc Toxicol.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: February 1, 2012
Abstract The biological mechanisms responsible for the onset and exacerbation of asthma symptoms in children may involve the epigenetic regulation of inflammatory genes after environmental exposures. Using buccal cells, we hypothesized that DNA methylation in promoter regions of two asthma genes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interferon g (IFNg), can vary over several days. […]
Citation: Torrone D, Kuriakose J, Moors K, Jiang H, Niedzwiecki M, Perera F, Miller R. Reproducibility and intraindividual variation over days in buccal cell DNA methylation of two asthma genes, interferon gamma (IFNgamma) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Clin Epigenetics. 2012;4(1):3.
Year Published: 2012, E-Published: January 17, 2012
Abstract Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic environmental pollutants generated during incomplete combustion. Following exposure and during metabolism, PAHs can form reactive epoxides that can covalently bind to DNA. These PAH-DNA adducts are established markers of cancer risk. PAH exposure has been associated with epigenetic alterations, including genomic cytosine methylation. Both global hypomethylation and […]
Citation: Herbstman, J. B., D. Tang, et al. (2012). "Prenatal Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Benzo[a]Pyrene-DNA Adducts and Genomic DNA Methylation in Cord Blood." Environ Health Perspect.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: November 11, 2011
Objective: We previously reported an association between prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and lower birth weight, birth length, and head circumference. The main goal of the present analysis was to assess the possible impact of coexposure to PAH containing barbecued meat consumed during pregnancy on birth outcomes. Materials and Methods: The birth […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera FP, Tang D, et al. Impact of barbecued meat consumed in pregnancy on birth outcomes accounting for personal prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Birth cohort study in Poland. Nutrition. Nov 11 2011.
Current Needs and Future Directions of Occupational Safety and Heath in a Globalized World
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: October 20, 2011
This summary provides a synopsis of talks included in a symposium entitled ‘‘Current Needs and Future Directions of Occupational Safety and Heath in a Globalized World’’. The purpose of the symposium was to (1) highlight national and international agencies with occupational health related activities; (2) address electronic (e-)waste issues in developing countries where exposures are […]
Citation: Perera FP, Li TY, Lin C, Tang D, Gilbert SG, Kang SK, Aschner M. Current needs and future directions of occupational safety and heath in a globalized world. Neurotoxicology. Oct 20.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: September 6, 2011
Background: Research suggests prenatal phthalate exposures affect child executive function and behavior. Objectives: To evaluate associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal prenatal urine and mental, motor and behavioral development in children at age 3 years. Methods: Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and 4 di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites were measured in a […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Liu X, Rauh VA, Calafat AM, Just AC, Hoepner L, Diaz D, Quinn J, Adibi J, Perera FP, Factor-Litvak P. Maternal Prenatal Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Child Mental, Psychomotor and Behavioral Development at Age Three Years. Environ Health Perspect. Sep 6.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: August 19, 2011
Exposures to ambient air traffic-related pollutants and their sources have been associated with respiratory and asthma morbidity in children. However, longitudinal investigation of the effects of traffic-related exposures during early childhood is limited. We examined associations of residential proximity and density of traffic and stationary sources of air pollution with wheeze, asthma, and immunoglobulin (Ig) […]
Citation: Patel MM, Quinn JW, Jung KH, et al. Traffic density and stationary sources of air pollution associated with wheeze, asthma, and immunoglobulin E from birth to age 5 years among New York City children. Environmental Research. 2011;111(8):1222-1229.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: July 8, 2011
In the last decade, the neurologic effects of various air pollutants have been the focus of increasing attention. The main purpose of this study was to assess the potential impact of early childhood exposure to indoor molds on the subsequent cognitive function of 6-year old children. The results of this study are based on the […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Maugeri U, Perera F, et al. Cognitive function of 6-year old children exposed to mold-contaminated homes in early postnatal period. Prospective birth cohort study in Poland. Physiol. Behav. Oct 24 2011;104(5):989-995.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: June 11, 2011
The main goal of the study was to assess the effect of exclusive breastfeeding on the neurodevelopment of children over a 7-year follow-up period and to test the hypothesis that the observed cognitive gain in breastfed children in the first years of life is a strong predictor of their cognitive development trajectory, which may be […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Jankowski J, et al. Effect of exclusive breastfeeding on the development of children's cognitive function in the Krakow prospective birth cohort study. Eur. J. Pediatr. Jan 2012;171(1):151-158.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons impair β2AR function in airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: May 26, 2011
Rationale: Incomplete combustion produces a pollutant mixture that includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Prior work by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) and others has linked exposure to PAH with asthma symptoms and other adverse health effects in young children. Inhaled β2-adrenergic agonists are mainstays in the treatment of reactive airways diseases. These […]
Citation: Factor P, Akhmedov AT, McDonald JD, Qu A, Wu J, Jiang H, Dasgupta T, Panettieri RA, Jr., Perera F, Miller RL. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons impair function of beta2-adrenergic receptors in airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. Nov;45(5):1045-1049.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: May 16, 2011
Consideration of the relationship between residential floor level and concentration of traffic related airborne pollutants may predict individual residential exposure among inner city dwellers more accurately. Our objective was to characterize the vertical gradient of residential levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH; dichotomized into Σ8PAHsemivolatile (MW 178–206), and Σ8PAHnonvolatile (MW 228–278), black carbon (BC), PM2.5 […]
Citation: Jung KH, Bernabe K, Moors K, Yan B, Chillrud SN, Whyatt R, Camann D, Kinney PL, Perera FP, Miller RL. Effects of Floor Level and Building Type on Residential Levels of Outdoor and Indoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Black Carbon, and Particulate Matter in New York City. Atmosphere (Basel). May 16 2011;2(2):96-109
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: May 10, 2011
Environmental contaminants pose a threat to infant neurodevelopment. In this current paper, we discuss evidence for the potentially harmful impact of fetal and early childhood exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and organophosphorus (OP) insecticides. We focus on effects resulting from chronic and low-level exposure during the prenatal period and early […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Horton MK, Miller RL, Whyatt RM, Perera F. Neonatology and the Environment: Impact of Early Exposure to Airborne Environmental Toxicants on Infant and Child Neurodevelopment. Neoreviews. 2011;11:363-369.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 30, 2011
Background: Asthma prevalence varies widely among neighborhoods within New York City. Exposure to mouse and cockroach allergens has been suggested as a cause. Objective: To test the hypotheses that children living in high asthma prevalence neighborhoods (HAPNs) would have higher concentrations of cockroach and mouse allergens in their homes than children in low asthma prevalence […]
Citation: Olmedo O, Goldstein IF, Acosta L, Divjan A, Rundle AG, Chew GL, Mellins RB, Hoepner L, Andrews H, Lopez-Pintado S, Quinn JW, Perera FP, Miller RL, Jacobson JS, Perzanowski MS. Neighborhood differences in exposure and sensitization to cockroach, mouse, dust mite, cat, and dog allergens in New York City. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Apr 30 2011.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 21, 2011
BACKGROUND: In a longitudinal birth cohort study of inner-city mothers and children (Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health), we have previously reported that prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF) was associated with neurodevelopmental problems at child age 3 years. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the study was to estimate the relationship between prenatal CPF exposure and neurodevelopment […]
Citation: Rauh V, Arunajadai S, Horton M, Perera F, Hoepner L, Barr DB, Whyatt R. Seven-year neurodevelopmental scores and prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common agricultural pesticide. Environ Health Perspect. Aug;119(8):1196-1201.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 14, 2011
BACKGROUND: Prior research has linked maternal prenatal and postnatal mental health with the subsequent development of asthma in children. However, this relationship has not been examined in inner-city African Americans and Hispanics, populations at high risk for asthma. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of maternal demoralization with wheeze, specific wheeze phenotypes, and seroatopy among children […]
Citation: Reyes M, Perzanowski MS, Whyatt RM, et al. Relationship between maternal demoralization, wheeze, and immunoglobulin E among inner-city children. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2011;107(1):42-49.e41.
PAH/Aromatic DNA Adducts in Cord Blood and Behavior Scores in New York City Children
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 12, 2011
Background. Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are widespread urban pollutants that can bind to DNA to form PAH-DNA adducts. Prenatal PAH exposure measured by personal monitoring has been linked to cognitive deficits in childhood in a prospective study conducted by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH). Objectives. We measured PAH-DNA and other bulky […]
Citation: Perera FP, Wang S, Vishnevetsky J, Zhang B, Cole KJ, Tang D, Rauh V, Phillips DH. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-aromatic DNA adducts in cord blood and behavior scores in New York city children. Environ Health Perspect. Aug;119(8):1176-1181.
Molecular Epidemiology, prenatal exposure and prevention of cancer.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 5, 2011
Molecular Epidemiology was originally conceived as a preventive approach, providing a valuable tool for investigating risk factors for cancer in vulnerable populations. Biomarkers can be used as early indicators of risk for preventative purposes and risk assessment. The present contribution mainly refers to in utero exposures to carcinogens, since humans are especially vulnerable during fetal […]
Citation: Perera F. Molecular epidemiology, prenatal exposure and prevention of cancer. Environmental Health. 2011;10(Suppl 1):S5.
Wheezing and asthma may be enhanced by broad spectrum antibiotics used in early childhood
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 1, 2011
One of the mechanisms supposed to explain the increasing prevalence of asthma, among children in particular, is the use of antibiotics because they may modify natural microbial exposure and development of the immune system in early childhood. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the use of various classes of antibiotics […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Wheezing and asthma may be enhanced by broad spectrum antibiotics used in early childhood. Concept and results of a pharmacoepidemiology study. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. Apr 2011;62(2):189-195.
Cancer: the big questions to address in coming years.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: March 31, 2011
Molecular epidemiology was introduced in the study of cancer in the early 1980s, with the expectation that it would help overcome some important limitations of epidemiology and facilitate cancer prevention. Since then, it has become clear that the great majority of cancers are in theory preventable because the factors that determine their incidence are largely […]
Citation: Perera FP. Cancer: The Big Questions to Address in Coming Years. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2011;20(4):571-573.
Impact of prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide and permethrin on 36-month neurodevelopment.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: February 7, 2011
OBJECTIVE: Recent pesticide-monitoring results suggest that a shift in residential pesticide exposure from organophosphorus insecticides to pyrethroid insecticides has occurred. Pyrethroid insecticides are potential neurodevelopmental toxicants and have not been evaluated for developmental toxicity. Our objective was to explore the association between prenatal exposure to permethrin (acommonpyrethroid) and piperonyl butoxide (a pyrethroid synergist) and 36-month […]
Citation: Horton MK, Rundle A, Camann DE, Barr DB, Rauh VA, Whyatt RM. Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Piperonyl Butoxide and Permethrin on 36-Month Neurodevelopment. Pediatrics. Feb 7 2011
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: February 3, 2011
Background: As there is a scarcity of evidence on potential hazards and preventive factors for infantile eczema operating in the prenatal period, the main goal of this study was to assess the role of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the occurrence of infant eczema jointly with the possible […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Effects of Prenatal and Perinatal Exposure to Fine Air Pollutants and Maternal Fish Consumption on the Occurrence of Infantile Eczema. Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. Feb 3 2011;155(3):275-281.
Cost of Developmental Delay from Prenatal Exposure to Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: February 22, 2011
Early life exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can result in developmental delay. The negative health effects of PAHs have been well-documented but the cost of developmental delay due to PAH exposure has not been studied. The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health previously has reported the significant effect of prenatal exposure to ambient […]
Citation: Weiland K, Neidell M, Rauh V, Perera F. Cost of developmental delay from prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Health Care Poor Underserved. Feb;22(1):320-329.
Prenatal environmental exposures, epigenetics, and disease
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: January 20, 2011
This review summarizes recent evidence that prenatal exposure to diverse environmental chemicals dysregulates the fetal epigenome, with potential consequences for subsequent developmental disorders and disease manifesting in childhood, over the lifecourse, or even transgenerationally. The primordial germ cells, embryo, and fetus are highly susceptible to epigenetic dysregulation by environmental chemicals, which can thereby exert multiple […]
Citation: Perera F, Herbstman J. Prenatal environmental exposures, epigenetics, and disease. Reproductive Toxicology. 2011;31(3):363-373.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: January 18, 2011
Exposure of black carbon (BC) is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. A number of optical methods for estimating BC on Teflon filters have been adopted but most assume all light absorption is due to BC while other sources of colored particulate matter exist. Recently, a four-wavelength optical reflectance measurement for distinguishing second […]
Citation: Yan, B., D. Kennedy, R.L. Miller, J.P. Cowin, K.H. Jung, M. Perzanowski, M. Balletta, F.P. Perera, P.L. Kinney, and S.N. Chillrud, Validating a nondestructive optical method for apportioning colored particulate matter into black carbon and additional components. Atmos Environ, 2011.
Prenatal PAH exposure is associated with chromosome-specific aberrations in cordblood
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: December 21, 2010
Chromosomal aberrations area ssociated with increased cancer risk in adults. Previously, we demonstrated that stable aberrations involving chromosomes 1–6 in cord blood are associated with prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) measured in air and are disproportionate to genomic content. We now examine whether the association with air PAHs is chromosome-specific and extends to […]
Citation: Orjuela MA, Liu X, Warburton D, Siebert AL, Cujar C, Tang D, Jobanputra V, Perera FP. Prenatal PAH exposure is associated with chromosome-specific aberrations in cord blood. Mutat Res. Dec 21;703(2):108-114.
Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, environmental tobacco smoke and asthma.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: December 15, 2010
Background: Previously, we reported that prenatal exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and postnatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in combination were associated with respiratory symptoms at ages 1 and 2 years. Here, we hypothesized that children exposed to both prenatal PAH and ETS may be at greater risk of asthma and seroatopy at ages 5–6 […]
Citation: Rosa MJ, Jung KH, Perzanowski MS, et al. Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, environmental tobacco smoke and asthma. Respiratory Medicine. 2011;105(6):869-876
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: November 20, 2010
Background Several in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that metal-rich particles may enhance allergic responses to house dust mites and induce an increased release of allergy-related cytokines. Objectives The main goal of this analysis is to define the possible association of intrauterine exposure to lead and mercury with the occurrence of skin sensitization […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Intrauterine exposure to lead may enhance sensitization to common inhalant allergens in early childhood: a prospective prebirth cohort study. Environ. Res. Jan 2011;111(1):119-124.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: November 10, 2010
Exposure to air pollutants has been associated with adverse health effects. However, analyses of the effects of season and ambient parameters such as ozone have not been fully conducted. Residential indoor and outdoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), black carbon (measured as absorption coefficient [Abs]), and fine particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM)2.5 were […]
Citation: Jung KH, Patel MM, Moors K, et al. Effects of heating season on residential indoor and outdoor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, black carbon, and particulate matter in an urban birth cohort. Atmospheric Environment. 2010;44(36):4545-4552.
Bulky DNA adducts in white blood cells: a pooled analysis of 3,600 subjects.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: October 4, 2010
Background: Bulky DNA adducts are markers of exposure to genotoxic aromatic compounds, which reflect the ability of an individual to metabolically activate carcinogens and to repair DNA damage. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a major class of carcinogens that are capable of forming such adducts. Factors that have been reported to be related to DNA […]
Citation: Ricceri F, Godschalk RW, Peluso M, et al. Bulky DNA adducts in white blood cells: a pooled analysis of 3600 subjects. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Oct 4 2010;19(12):3174-3181.
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide exchange parameters among 9-year-old inner-city children
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: September 16, 2010
Objectives and Hypothesis: To determine the feasibility of using a multiple flow offline fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) collection method in an inner-city cohort and determine this population’s alveolar and conducting airway contributions of NO. We hypothesized that the flow independent NO parameters would be associated differentially with wheeze and seroatopy. Methods: As part of […]
Citation: Rosa MJ, Divjan A, Hoepner L, et al. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide exchange parameters among 9-year-old inner-city children. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2011;46(1):83-91.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: August 30, 2010
Background: This study attempted to clarify the household and mother’s lifestyle factors that contribute to the greater fetal vulnerability of African-American individuals to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Methods: Non-smoking pregnant women with no known risks of adverse birth outcome were monitored for their personal exposure to airborne PAH. Birth outcomes were collected from the […]
Citation: Choi H, Perera FP. Sources of greater fetal vulnerability to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among African Americans. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 2010;66(2):121-126.
Environmental epigenetics and allergic diseases: recent advances
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: August 16, 2010
Significant strides in the understanding of the role of epigenetic regulation in asthma and allergy using both epidemiological approaches as well as experimental ones have been made. This review focuses on new research within the last 2 years. These include advances in determining how environmental agents implicated in airway disease can induce epigenetic changes, how […]
Citation: Kuriakose JS, Miller RL. Environmental epigenetics and allergic diseases: recent advances. Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 2010;40(11):1602-1610.
Cord blood versus age 5 mononuclear cell proliferation on IgE and asthma
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: August 4, 2010
Background: Fetal immune responses following exposure of mothers to allergens during pregnancy may influence the subsequent risk of childhood asthma. However, the association of allergen-induced cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) proliferation and cytokine production with later allergic immune responses and asthma has been controversial. Our objective was to compare indoor allergen-induced CBMC with age 5 […]
Citation: Chang C, Gauvey-Kern K, Johnson A, et al. Cord blood versus age 5 mononuclear cell proliferation on IgE and asthma. Clinical and Molecular Allergy. 2010;8(1):11.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: June 22, 2010
Impaired fetal development is associated with a number of adult chronic diseases and it is believed that these associations arise as a result of the phenomenon of prenatal programming, which involves persisting changes in structure and function of various body organs caused by ambient factors during critical and vulnerable periods of early development. The main […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Maugeri U, et al. Effect of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter on ventilatory lung function of preschool children of non-smoking mothers. Paediatr. Perinat. Epidemiol. Sep 2010;24(5):492-501.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: June 16, 2010
The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) previously reported widespread residential insecticide use in urban communities in New York City. Research suggests that pyrethroids are replacing organophosphates (OPs) in response to 2000–2001 US EPA pesticide regulations restricting OP use. A systematic assessment of active ingredients used for residential pest control is lacking. We queried […]
Citation: Horton MK, Jacobson JB, McKelvey W, et al. Characterization of residential pest control products used in inner city communities in New York City. J Expos Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2011;21(3):291-301.
Prenatal allergen and diesel exhaust exposure and their effects on allergy in adult offspring mice.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: May 11, 2010
Background: Multiple studies have suggested that prenatal exposure to either allergens or air pollution may increase the risk for the development of allergic immune responses in young offspring. However, the effects of prenatal environmental exposures on adult offspring have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that combined prenatal exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) allergen and […]
Citation: Lin L, Zhu H, Quan C, et al. Prenatal allergen and diesel exhaust exposure and their effects on allergy in adult offspring mice. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2010;6(1):7.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: May 6, 2010
Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) has been associated with allergic sensitization and asthma. We hypothesized that increased urinary PAH metabolites are associated with allergy or asthma among children age 5 yrs in an inner-city birth cohort. As part of an ongoing prospective birth cohort under the auspices of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental […]
Citation: Miller RL, Garfinkel R, Lendor C, Hoepner L, Li Z, Romanoff L, Sjodin A, Needham L, Perera FP, Whyatt RM. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolite levels and pediatric allergy and asthma in an inner-city cohort. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. Mar 2010;21(2 Pt 1):260-267.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: April 27, 2010
The application of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)-toxic equivalent factor to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) concentrations can provide a more accurate risk assessment from environmental exposure to PAH. We hypothesized that BaP-equivalent toxicity determined following residential air monitoring among young urban children may vary by season. Residential indoor and outdoor air levels of PAH measured over two-weeks in […]
Citation: Jung KH, Yan B, Chillrud SN, et al. Assessment of Benzo(a)pyrene-equivalent Carcinogenicity and Mutagenicity of Residential Indoor versus Outdoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Exposing Young Children in New York City. Int J Environ Res Public Health. May 2010;7(5):1889-1900.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: April 27, 2010
The main goal of the study was to determine the relationship between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) measured by PAH-DNA adducts in umbilical cord blood and early wheeze. The level of PAH-DNA adducts in the cord blood is assumed to reflect the cumulative dose of PAHs absorbed by the foetus over the prenatal […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Maugeri U, et al. Intrauterine exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fine particulate matter and early wheeze. Prospective birth cohort study in 4-year olds. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. Jun 2010;21(4 Pt 2):e723-732.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: April 14, 2010
BACKGROUND: In this prospective cohort study of Caucasian mothers and children in Krakow, Poland, we evaluated the role of prenatal exposure to urban air pollutants in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral disorders. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and child intelligence at 5 years […]
Citation: Edwards SC, Jedrychowski W, Butscher M, et al. Prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and children's intelligence at 5 years of age in a prospective cohort study in Poland. Environ. Health Perspect. Sep 2010;118(9):1326-1331.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: March 31, 2010
Diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are used extensively in personal care products, including fragrances (DEP) and nail polish (DnBP). Between May 2003 and July 2006, we gathered questionnaire data on use of 7 product categories (deodorant, perfume, hair spray, hair gel, nail polish/polish remover, liquid soap/body wash, lotion/mist) over 48 hours during the […]
Citation: Just AC, Adibi JJ, Rundle AG, et al. Urinary and air phthalate concentrations and self-reported use of personal care products among minority pregnant women in New York city. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. Nov 2010;20(7):625-633.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: March 18, 2010
Objectives. We evaluated whether neighborhood characteristics correlated with early neurodevelopment and whether these characteristics confounded the previously reported association between exposure to chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate insecticide) and neurodevelopment. Methods. We obtained prenatal addresses, chlorpyrifos exposure data, and 36-month Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) and Mental Development Index (MDI) scores for a birth cohort in New York […]
Citation: Lovasi GS, Quinn JW, Rauh VA, et al. Chlorpyrifos Exposure and Urban Residential Environment Characteristics as Determinants of Early Childhood Neurodevelopment. Am J Public Health. January 2011;101(1):63-70.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: February 4, 2010
Background/Aim The objective of this study was to assess a hypothesized beneficial effect of fish consumption during the last trimester of pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes resulting from prenatal exposure to fine air particulate matter. Methods The cohort consisted of 481 nonsmoking women with singleton pregnancies, of 18–35 years of age, who gave birth at […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Mrozek-Budzyn D, et al. Higher fish consumption in pregnancy may confer protection against the harmful effect of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 2010;56(2):119-126.
Prenatal exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: January 4, 2010
Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used flame retardant compounds that are persistent and bioaccumulative and therefore have become ubiquitous environment contaminants. Animal studies suggest that prenatal PBDE exposure may result in adverse neurodevelopmental effects. Objective: In a longitudinal cohort initiated after 11 September 2001, including 329 mothers who delivered in one of three […]
Citation: Herbstman JB, Sjodin A, Kurzon M, et al. Prenatal exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment. Environ Health Perspect. May 2010;118(5):712-719.
Effect of gene-environment Interactions on mental development in African American, Dominican, and Caucasian mothers and newborns.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: October 26, 2009
The health impact of environmental toxins has gained increasing recognition over the years. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are known to affect nervous system development in children, but no studies have investigated how polymorphisms in PAH metabolic or detoxification genes affect child cognitive development following PAH exposure during pregnancy. In two […]
Citation: Wang S, Chanock S, Tang D, et al. Effect of gene-environment Interactions on mental development in African American, Dominican, and Caucasian mothers and newborns. Ann. Hum. Genet. Jan 2010;74(1):46-56.
Prenatal acetaminophen exposure and risk of cohort wheeze at age 5 years in an urban low-income
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: October 22, 2009
Background: Acetaminophen has been associated with asthma and is in part metabolised via the glutathione pathway. Inner-city minority children have high asthma morbidity and a relatively high frequency of a minor allele variant in the glutathione S transferase Pi gene (GSTP1). We hypothesised that prenatal acetaminophen exposure would predict wheeze at age 5 years in […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Miller RL, Tang D, Ali D, Garfinkel RS, Chew GL, Goldstein IF, Perera FP, Barr RG. Prenatal acetaminophen exposure and risk of wheeze at age 5 years in an urban low-income cohort. Thorax. Feb 2010;65(2):118-123.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: September 15, 2009
Background: Phthalates can alter steroidogenesis and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)–mediated transcription in rodent tissues. The placenta offers a rich source of biomarkers to study these relationships in humans. Objective: We evaluated whether gestational phthalate exposures in humans were associated with altered human placental steroidogenesis and trophoblast differentiation as measured by markers of mRNA transcription. […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Whyatt RM, Hauser R, et al. Transcriptional biomarkers of steroidogenesis and trophoblast differentiation in the placenta in relation to prenatal phthalate exposure. Environ Health Perspect. Feb 2010;118(2):291-296.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: September 10, 2009
Rationale: The effects of exposure to specific components of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), including metals and elemental carbon (EC), have not been fully characterized in young children. Objectives: To compare temporal associations among PM2.5; individual metal constituents of ambient PM2.5, including nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn); and EC and longitudinal reports of […]
Citation: Patel MM, Hoepner L, Garfinkel R, et al. Ambient metals, elemental carbon, and wheeze and cough in New York City children through 24 months of age. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Dec 2009;180(11):1107-1113.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: August 1, 2009
The fetus is more susceptible than the adult to the effects of certain carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Nutritional factors, including antioxidants, have been shown to have a protective effect on carcinogen-DNA adducts and cancer risk in adults. We investigated whether the effect of prenatal airborne PAH exposure, measured by personal air monitoring […]
Citation: Kelvin EA, Edwards S, Jedrychowski W, et al. Modulation of the effect of prenatal PAH exposure on PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood by plasma antioxidants. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Aug 2009;18(8):2262-2268.
Prenatal airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and child IQ at age 5 years.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: July 20, 2009
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the relationship between prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and child intelligence. METHODS: Children of nonsmoking black or Dominican-American women residing in New York City were monitored from in utero to 5 years of age, with determination of prenatal PAH exposure through personal air monitoring for the mothers during […]
Citation: Perera FP, Li Z, Whyatt R, et al. Prenatal airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and child IQ at age 5 years. Pediatrics. Aug 2009;124(2):e195-202.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: July 6, 2009
Prenatal exposures such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and early postnatal environmental exposures are of particular concern because of the heightened susceptibility of the fetus and infant to diverse environmental pollutants. Marked inter-individual variation in response to the same level of exposure was observed in both mothers and their newborns, indicating that susceptibility might be due […]
Citation: Wang S, Zheng T, Chanock S, Jedrychowski W, Perera FP. Methods for detecting interactions between genetic polymorphisms and prenatal environment exposure with a mother-child design. Genet. Epidemiol. Feb 2010;34(2):125-132.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: N/A
Phthalates, pesticides, and bisphenol-A (BPA) are three groups of chemicals, implicated in endocrine disruption and commonly found in the local environment, that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergies [1-3]. Multiple observational studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to phthalates and the development of asthma and allergies in humans. Associations with […]
Citation: Kwak ES, Just A, Whyatt R, Miller RL. Phthalates, Pesticides, and Bisphenol-A Exposure and the Development of Nonoccupational Asthma and Allergies: How Valid Are the Links? Open Allergy J. 2009;2:45-50
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: June 22, 2009
The main purpose of the study was to answer the question whether young children without clinical diagnosis of asthma but experiencing early wheezing disorders and therefore being at high risk of developing asthma may have cognitive deficits. In the ongoing birth cohort study wheezing symptoms were recorded postpartum over two first years of age and […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera FP, Jankowski J, et al. Early wheezing phenotypes and cognitive development of 3-yr-olds. Community-recruited birth cohort study. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. May 2010;21(3):550-556.
Prenatal di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure and length of gestation among an inner-city cohort
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: June 9, 2009
OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the relationship between di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) exposure during pregnancy and gestational age at delivery among 311 African American or Dominican women from New York City. METHODS: Forty-eight-hour personal air and/or spot urine samples were collected during the third trimester. DEHP levels were measured in air samples and 4 DEHP metabolite […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Adibi JJ, Calafat AM, et al. Prenatal di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure and length of gestation among an inner-city cohort. Pediatrics. Dec 2009;124(6):e1213-1220.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: May 17, 2009
The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between very low-level of prenatal lead exposure measured in the cord blood (< 5 µg/dL) and possible gender-specific cognitive deficits in the course of the first three years of life. The accumulated lead dose in infants over the pregnancy period was measured by the cord blood […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Jankowski J, et al. Gender specific differences in neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal exposure to very low-lead levels: The prospective cohort study in three-year olds. Early Hum. Dev. 2009;85(8):503-510.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: April 15, 2009
Background: Cockroaches and mice, which are common in urban homes, are sources of allergens capable of triggering asthma symptoms. Traditional pest control involves the use of scheduled applications of pesticides by professionals as well as pesticide use by residents. In contrast, integrated pest management (IPM) involves sanitation, building maintenance, and limited use of least toxic […]
Citation: Kass D, McKelvey W, Carlton E, et al. Effectiveness of an Integrated Pest Management Intervention in Controlling Cockroaches, Mice, and Allergens in New York City Public Housing. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(8).
Air pollution and childhood asthma: recent advances and future directions
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: April 1, 2009
Purpose of review Current levels of air pollution are consistently associated with asthma development and morbidity among children, suggesting that current regulatory policies may be insufficient. This review will describe recent studies that have examined specific emission sources or components of pollutants that may be associated with pediatric asthma and identify subpopulations that may be […]
Citation: Patel MM, Miller RL. Air pollution and childhood asthma: recent advances and future directions. Curr Opin Pediatr. Apr 2009;21(2):235-242.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: February 27, 2009
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer used in consumer and medical products that can cross the placenta, disrupt steroid hormone synthesis, and activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. The authors examined DEHP exposure in relation to the timing of labor in a pregnancy cohort study of 283 women recruited in 4 US states (California, Iowa, Minnesota, […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Hauser R, Williams PL, et al. Maternal Urinary Metabolites of Di-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate in Relation to the Timing of Labor in a US Multicenter Pregnancy Cohort Study. American Journal of Epidemiology. April 2009;169(8):1015-1024.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: February 16, 2009
In a longitudinal cohort of ~700 children in New York City, the prevalence of asthma (>25%) is among the highest in the US. This high risk may in part be caused by transplacental exposure to traffic-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) but biomarkers informative of PAH-asthma relationships is lacking. We here hypothesized that epigenetic marks associated […]
Citation: Perera F, Tang WY, Herbstman J, et al. Relation of DNA methylation of 5'-CpG island of ACSL3 to transplacental exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood asthma. PLoS One. 2009;4(2):e4488.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: December 5, 2008
Background: We previously documented significant decreases in chlorpyrifos concentrations in maternal personal and indoor air samples among pregnant African-American and Dominican women from New York City after the 2000–2001 restrictions on its residential use. Objective: We undertook a biomarker validation study within the same cohort to evaluate trends over time in multiple biomarkers of prenatal […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Garfinkel R, Hoepner LA, et al. A biomarker validation study of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure within an inner-city cohort during pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2009;117(4):559-567.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: November 8, 2008
Background: The relationships between cockroach and mouse allergen exposure, anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE, and wheeze, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in children as young as age 3 years are of public health importance but have not been thoroughly evaluated. Objective: We hypothesized that inner-city children might have anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE by age 3 years, and […]
Citation: Donohue KM, Al-alem U, Perzanowski MS, et al. Anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE are associated with early wheeze and atopy in an inner-city birth cohort. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Nov 2008;122(5):914-920.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: October 27, 2008
The purpose of this study was to assess an impact of prenatal exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) on the risk of developing respiratory symptoms in early childhood. The study was carried out in a cohort of 465 newborns in Krakow (Poland) who have been followed over the first two years of life. The children exposed […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Effect of prenatal exposure to fine particles and postnatal indoor air quality on the occurrence of respiratory symptoms in the first two years of life. International Journal of Environment and Health. 2008;2(3):314-329.
Epigenetic Studies Should Focus on Specific Cell Types
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: October 15, 2008
We thank Drs. Guo, Williams, and Georas for their thoughtful comments on our pulmonary perspective (1). Their suggestion that future studies need to examine the mechanisms by which environmental exposures induce epigenetic modifications in specific lung cell types is important. Our understanding would be heightened even further by human research studies that examine cell-specific responses. […]
Citation: Miller R, Ho SM. Epigenetic Studies Should Focus on Specific Cell Types. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. October 15, 2008 2008;178(8):883, letter.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: October 1, 2008
Traffic-related air pollutants have been associated with adverse health effects. We hypothesized that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), elemental carbon (EC, diesel indicator), particulate matter (PM2.5), and a suite of metals declined from 1998 to 2006 in NYC due to policy interventions. PAH levels from personal monitoring of pregnant mothers participating in the Columbia’s […]
Citation: Narvaez RF, Hoepner L, Chillrud SN, et al. Spatial and temporal trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other traffic-related airborne pollutants in New York City. Environ Sci Technol. Oct 1 2008;42(19):7330-7335.
Prenatal maternal diet affects asthma risk in offspring
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: September 18, 2008
Recently, epigenetic-mediated mechanisms — which involve heritable changes in gene expression in the absence of alterations in DNA sequences — have been proposed as contributing to asthma. In this issue of the JCI, Hollingsworth and colleagues report on the effect of prenatal maternal dietary intake of methyl donors on the risk of allergic airway disease […]
Citation: Miller RL. Prenatal maternal diet affects asthma risk in offspring. J Clin Invest. Oct 2008;118(10):3265-3268.
Air pollution threatens the health of children in China.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: September 1, 2008
CONTEXT. China’s rapid economic development has come at the cost of severe environmental degradation, most notably from coal combustion. Outdoor air pollution is associated with >300000 deaths, 20 million cases of respiratory illness, and a health cost of >500 billion renminbi (>3% of gross domestic product) annually. The young are particularly susceptible to air pollution, […]
Citation: Millman A, Tang D, Perera FP. Air pollution threatens the health of children in China. Pediatrics. Sep 2008;122(3):620-628.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: August 15, 2008
Background: Widespread residential pesticide use throughout the United States has resulted in ubiquitous, low-level pesticide exposure. The mix of active pesticide ingredients is changing in response to 2000–2001 regulations restricting use of the organophosphorus insecticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon. Objectives: We aimed to determine the impact of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on pest infestation levels, […]
Citation: Williams MK, Rundle A, Holmes D, et al. Changes in pest infestation levels, self-reported pesticide use, and permethrin exposure during pregnancy after the 2000-2001 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency restriction of organophosphates. Environ Health Perspect. Dec 2008;116(12):1681-1688.
Housing and health: intersection of poverty and environmental exposures
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: July 25, 2008
The importance of adequate housing for the maintenance of health and well-being has long been a topic of scientific and public health policy discussion, but the links remain elusive. Here we explore the role of the residential environment in the etiology of illness (specifically asthma) and the persistence of socioeconomic health disparities. Housing conditions, shaped […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Landrigan PJ, Claudio L. Housing and health: intersection of poverty and environmental exposures. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008;1136:276-288.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: July 16, 2008
OBJECTIVES: Current understanding on health effects of long-term polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure is limited by lack of data on time-varying nature of the pollutants at an individual level. In a cohort of pregnant women in Krakow, Poland, we examined the contribution of temporal, spatial, and behavioral factors to prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs within […]
Citation: Choi H, Perera F, Pac A, et al. Estimating individual-level exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons throughout the gestational period based on personal, indoor, and outdoor monitoring. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2008;116(11):1509-1518.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: July 14, 2008
BACKGROUND: Coal burning provides 70% of the energy for China’s industry and power, but releases large quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other pollutants. PAHs are reproductive and developmental toxicants, mutagens, and carcinogens. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the benefit to neurobehavioral development from the closure of a coal-fired power plant that was the major local […]
Citation: Perera F, Li TY, Zhou ZJ, et al. Benefits of reducing prenatal exposure to coal-burning pollutants to children's neurodevelopment in China. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2008;116(10):1396-1400.
Children Are Likely to Suffer Most from Our Fossil Fuel Addiction
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: April 16, 2008
BACKGROUND: The periods of fetal and child development arguably represent the stages of greatest vulnerability to the dual impacts of fossil fuel combustion: the multiple toxic effects of emitted pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particles, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, metals) and the broad health impacts of global climate change attributable in large part to carbon dioxide […]
Citation: Perera FP. Children are likely to suffer most from our fossil fuel addiction. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2008;116(8):987-990.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: April 16, 2008
We examined the utility of a newly developed perceived air pollution (PAP) scale and of a modeled air pollution (MAP) scale derived from it for predicting previously observed birth outcomes of pregnant women enrolled following September 11, 2001. Women reported their home and work locations in the four weeks after September 11, 2001 and the […]
Citation: Lederman SA, Becker M, Sheets S, et al. Modeling exposure to air pollution from the WTC disaster based on reports of perceived air pollution. Risk Anal. Apr 2008;28(2):287-301.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: April 4, 2008
Background: Cat ownership is inversely associated with atopy and asthma in some areas of the world, but the relevance of cat ownership to allergic disease in the inner city is less known. Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between cat ownership and the development of early sensitization and wheeze. Methods: By using a prospective […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Chew GL, Divjan A, et al. Cat ownership is a risk factor for the development of anti-cat IgE but not current wheeze at age 5 years in an inner-city cohort. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Apr 2008;121(4):1047-1052.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: March 31, 2008
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine whether prenatal mercury exposure, including potential releases from the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, adversely affects fetal growth and child development. METHODS: We determined maternal and umbilical cord blood total mercury of nonsmoking women who delivered at term in lower Manhattan after 11 September 2001, and measured birth […]
Citation: Lederman SA, Jones RL, Caldwell KL, et al. Relation between cord blood mercury levels and early child development in a World Trade Center cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2008;116(8):1085-1091.
Emerging technology in molecular epidemiology: what epidemiologists need to know.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: March 19, 2008
Epidemiology has evolved with the development of new molecular technologies that refine the way we investigate the relationships between exposure and disease. While these novel tools open new opportunities to delve into the mechanisms of the molecular epidemiologic continuum, they also come with the challenge of ensuring their meaningful application in epidemiologic investigations. To train […]
Citation: Perera FP, Herbstman JB. Emerging technology in molecular epidemiology: what epidemiologists need to know. Epidemiology. Mar 2008;19(2):350-352.
DNA adducts and cancer risk in prospective studies: a pooled analysis and a meta-analysis
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: March 14, 2008
Bulky DNA adducts are biomarkers of exposure to aromatic compounds and of the ability of the individual to metabolically activate carcinogens and to repair DNA damage. Their ability to predict cancer onset is uncertain. We have performed a pooled analysis of three prospective studies on cancer risk in which bulky DNA adducts have been measured […]
Citation: Veglia F, Loft S, Matullo G, et al. DNA adducts and cancer risk in prospective studies: a pooled analysis and a meta-analysis. Carcinogenesis. May 2008;29(5):932-936.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 30, 2008
BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous air pollutants generated by combustion of organic material, including fossil fuel. OBJECTIVES: It has been an open question whether prenatal exposure to air pollution in general and PAHs in particular significantly increases the risk of intrauterine growth restriction, including small size for gestational age (SGA), and preterm delivery. […]
Citation: Choi H, Rauh V, Garfinkel R, Tu Y, Perera FP. Prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and risk of intrauterine growth restriction. Environ Health Perspect. May 2008;116(5):658-665.
Effects of prenatal exposure to coal-burning pollutants on children’s development in China.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 30, 2008
BACKGROUND: Environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead, and mercury are released by combustion of coal and other fossil fuels. OBJECTIVES: In the present study we evaluated the association between prenatal exposure to these pollutants and child development measured by the Gesell Developmental Schedules at 2 years of age. METHODS: The study was […]
Citation: Tang D, Li TY, Liu JJ, et al. Effects of prenatal exposure to coal-burning pollutants on children's development in China. Environ Health Perspect. May 2008;116(5):674-679.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 15, 2008
Background: Although urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites are frequently used as biomarkers in epidemiologic studies, variability during pregnancy has not been characterized. Methods: We measured phthalate metabolite concentrations in spot urine samples collected from 246 pregnant Dominican and African-American women. Twenty-eight women had repeat urine samples collected over a 6-week period. We also analyzed 48-hr […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Whyatt RM, Williams PL, et al. Characterization of phthalate exposure among pregnant women assessed by repeat air and urine samples. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2008;116(4):467-473.
Environmental Epigenetics and Asthma: Current Concepts and Call for Studies
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 10, 2008
Recent studies suggest that epigenetic regulation (heritable changes in gene expression that occur in the absence of alterations in DNA sequences) may in part mediate the complex gene-by-environment interactions that can lead to asthma. The variable natural history of asthma (i.e., incidence and remission of symptoms) may be a result of epigenetic changes, such as […]
Citation: Miller RL, Ho S-m. Environmental Epigenetics and Asthma: current concepts and calls for studies. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. March 15, 2008 2008;177(6):567-573.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: N/A
Background: Season of birth has been associated with the development of atopy and asthma. Relationships among a particular birth season, maternal allergen exposure during the birth season, and childhood development of allergies to allergens in higher concentration during the birth season may be important. Objective: To investigate the effects of winter birth (January 1 to […]
Citation: Lendor C, Johnson A, Perzanowski M, et al. Effects of winter birth season and prenatal cockroach and mouse allergen exposure on indoor allergen-specific cord blood mononuclear cell proliferation and cytokine production. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. Aug 2008;101(2):193-199.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: November 27, 2007
Changes in methylation of CpG sites at the interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ promoters are associated with T helper (Th) 2 polarization in vitro. No previous studies have examined whether air pollution or allergen exposure alters methylation of these two genes in vivo. We hypothesized that diesel exhaust particles (DEP) would induce hypermethylation of the […]
Citation: Liu J, Ballaney M, Al-alem U, et al. Combined inhaled diesel exhaust particles and allergen exposure alter methylation of T helper genes and IgE production in vivo. Toxicol Sci. Mar 2008;102(1):76-81.
Molecular epidemiology and biomarkers in etiologic cancer research: the new in light of the old.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: N/A
The purpose of this review is to evaluate progress in molecular epidemiology over the past 24 years in cancer etiology and prevention to draw lessons for future research incorporating the new generation of biomarkers. Molecular epidemiology was introduced in the study of cancer in the early 1980s, with the expectation that it would help overcome […]
Citation: Vineis P, Perera F. Molecular epidemiology and biomarkers in etiologic cancer research: the new in light of the old. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Oct 2007;16(10):1954-1965.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: October 1, 2007
Background:Adverse postnatal health effects have been associated with compromised fetal growth, which makes it essential to understand its determinants. Significant effects of environmental pollutants on birth outcomes have been observed in our study population, and nutritional status may be an additional factor influencing fetal development and effects of environmental toxins. Objective:The objective of the study […]
Citation: Masters ET, Jedrychowski W, Schleicher RL, et al. Relation between prenatal lipid-soluble micronutrient status, environmental pollutant exposure, and birth outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr. Oct 2007;86(4):1139-1145.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: May 31, 2007
BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are air pollutants released by the World Trade Center (WTC) fires and urban combustion sources. BaP-DNA adducts provide a measure of PAH-specific genetic damage, which has been associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and cancer. We previously reported that levels of BaP-DNA adducts in maternal […]
Citation: Perera FP, Tang D, Rauh V, et al. Relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts, environmental tobacco smoke, and child development in the World Trade Center cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2007;115(10):1497-1502.
Risks in Using Nonrigorous Spanish Translations of Asthma Questionnaires
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: April 13, 2007
Taking into account the substantial growth occurring among Latino populations in the United States, and the fact that some Latino populations are especially vulnerable for asthma, correctly identifying asthma cases and symptoms among persons in these populations is critical. We evaluated potential problems inherent to the English-Spanish translation of asthma questionnaires, in particular the word […]
Citation: Narvaez R, Moors K, Miller R, Ramirez M. Risks in Using Nonrigorous Spanish Translations of Asthma Questionnaires. Chest. April 1, 2007 2007;131(4):1271-1272.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: April 5, 2007
The main purpose of our study was to assess the effects of prenatal tobacco smoke on respiratory symptoms and on doctor consultations in a birth cohort of 445 infants who had no smoking mothers and who had no postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Before and after delivery, questionnaires and interviews with mothers were […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Galas AS, Flak E, et al. Increased burden of respiratory disease in the first six months of life due to prenatal environmental tobacco smoke: Krakow birth cohort study. Early Child Development and Care. 2007;177(4):369-381.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: N/A
The main purpose of the study was to assess the occurrence of wheezing and lung function in non-smoking women exposed to various levels of fine particulate matter (FP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Out of the total study group, 152 women were included in the lower exposed group (PM2.5 ≤34.3μg/m3 or PAHs ≤ 22.9ng/ m3) […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Whyatt R, et al. Wheezing and lung function measured in subjects exposed to various levels of fine particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Central European Journal of Medicine. 2007;2(1):66-78.
Prenatal exposure to air pollution and respiratory outcomes in children
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: N/A
Citation: Miller R, Daswani M, Lendor C. Prenatal exposure to air pollution and respiratory outcomes in children. In: Jeorgenson N, ed. Passive Smoking and Health Research: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.; 2007:283-296.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: December 11, 2006
Background: Residential insecticide use is widespread in the United States, but few data are available on the persistence and variability in levels in the indoor environment. Objective: The study aim was to assess within- and between-home variability in indoor-air insecticides over the final 2 months of pregnancy among a cohort of African-American and Dominican women […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Garfinkel R, Hoepner LA, et al. Within- and between-home variability in indoor-air insecticide levels during pregnancy among an inner-city cohort from New York City. Environ Health Perspect. Mar 2007;115(3):383-389.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: November 20, 2006
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos on 3-year neurodevelopment and behavior in a sample of inner-city minority children. METHODS. As part of an ongoing prospective cohort study in an inner-city minority population, neurotoxicant effects of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos were evaluated in 254 children through […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Garfinkel R, Perera FP, et al. Impact of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure on neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of life among inner-city children. Pediatrics. Dec 2006;118(6):e1845-1859.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: October 5, 2006
A growing body of evidence has been generated indicating that the fetus, infant, and young child are especially susceptible to environmental toxicants as diverse as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Exposures to these toxicants may be related to the increases in recent decades in childhood […]
Citation: Perera F, Viswanathan S, Whyatt R, Tang D, Miller RL, Rauh V. Children's environmental health research--highlights from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. Ann N Y Acad Sci. Sep 2006;1076:15-28.
International studies of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fetal growth
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: August 3, 2006
Objectives: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitously distributed human mutagens and carcinogens. However, lack of adequate air monitoring data has limited understanding of the effects of airborne PAHs on fetal growth. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined the association between prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs and birth weight, birth length, and birth head […]
Citation: Choi H, Jedrychowski W, Spengler J, et al. International studies of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fetal growth. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2006;114(11):1744-1750.
PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood and fetal and child development in a Chinese cohort.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: August 1, 2006
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important class of toxic pollutants released by fossil fuel combustion. Other pollutants include metals and particulate matter. PAH-DNA adducts, or benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) adducts as their proxy, provide a chemical-specific measure of individual biologically effective doses that have been associated with increased risk of cancer and adverse birth outcomes. In […]
Citation: Tang D, Li TY, Liu JJ, Chen YH, Qu L, Perera F. PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood and fetal and child development in a Chinese cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2006;114(8):1297-1300.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: July 27, 2006
Background: We previously reported widespread insecticide exposure during pregnancy among inner-city women from New York City. Here we report on a pilot intervention using integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pest infestations and residential insecticide exposures among pregnant New York City African-American and Latina women (25 intervention and 27 control homes). Methods:The IPM consisted of […]
Citation: Williams MK, Barr DB, Camann DE, et al. An intervention to reduce residential insecticide exposure during pregnancy among an inner-city cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2006;114(11):1684-1689.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: July 11, 2006
Background and Objectives: Early-life exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) can result in developmental delay as well as childhood asthma and increased risk of cancer. The high cost of childhood asthma related to ETS exposure has been widely recognized; however, the economic impact of ETS-related developmental delay has been less well understood. Methods and Results: […]
Citation: Miller T, Rauh VA, Glied SA, et al. The economic impact of early life environmental tobacco smoke exposure: early intervention for developmental delay. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2006;114(10):1585-1588.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: June 21, 2006
Given the widespread use of insecticides in the environment, it is important to perform studies evaluating their potential effects on humans. Organophosphate insecticides, such as chlorpyrifos, are being phased out; however, the use of pyrethroids in household pest control is increasing. While chlorpyrifos is relatively well studied, much less is known about the potential neurotoxicity […]
Citation: Mense SM, Sengupta A, Lan C, et al. The common insecticides cyfluthrin and chlorpyrifos alter the expression of a subset of genes with diverse functions in primary human astrocytes. Toxicol Sci. Sep 2006;93(1):125-135.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: April 24, 2006
Our prospective cohort study of nonsmoking African-American and Dominican mothers and children in New York City is evaluating the role of prenatal exposure to urban pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and pesticides, in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral disorders. We used the Bayley Scales of Infant Development to evaluate the effects […]
Citation: Perera FP, Rauh V, Whyatt RM, et al. Effect of prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of life among inner-city children. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2006;114(8):1287-1292.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: February 18, 2006
Background: Asthma prevalence is high in the inner city, and morbidity has been associated with cockroach and mouse allergens. Objective: To characterize the relationships among pests, allergens, pesticides, and asthma in New York City public housing. Methods: In 324 apartments, dust samples collected from beds and kitchens were analyzed for cockroach (Bla g 2) and […]
Citation: Chew GL, Carlton EJ, Kass D, et al. Determinants of cockroach and mouse exposure and associations with asthma in families and elderly individuals living in New York City public housing. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2006;97(4):502-513.
Endotoxin in inner-city homes: associations with wheeze and eczema in early childhood.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: February 14, 2006
Background: An inverse association between domestic exposure to endotoxin and atopy in childhood has been observed. The relevance of this aspect of the hygiene hypothesis to US inner-city communities that have disproportionately high asthma prevalence has not been determined. Objectives: To measure endotoxin in the dust from inner-city homes, evaluate associations between endotoxin and housing/lifestyle […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Miller RL, Thorne PS, et al. Endotoxin in inner-city homes: associations with wheeze and eczema in early childhood. J Allergy Clin Immunol. May 2006;117(5):1082-1089.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: January 12, 2006
Community–academic partnerships have demonstrated potential for studying and improving community and environmental health, but only recently have their policy impacts been systematically studied. This case study highlights the evolution, research, and policy processes and outcomes of a community based participatory research (CBPR) partnership that has had multilevel impacts on health policy concerning diesel bus emissions […]
Citation: Minkler M, Vásquez V, Shepard P. Promoting Environmental Health Policy Through Community Based Participatory Research: A Case Study from Harlem, New York. Journal of Urban Health. 2006;83(1):101-110.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: November 7, 2005
PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to assess the cognitive and psychomotor status of 1-year-old infants whose mothers were exposed to low, but varying, amounts of mercury during pregnancy. METHODS: Mercury levels in cord and maternal blood at delivery were used to assess prenatal environmental exposure to mercury. Bayley Scales of Infant Development were […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Jankowski J, Flak E, et al. Effects of prenatal exposure to mercury on cognitive and psychomotor function in one-year-old infants: epidemiologic cohort study in Poland. Ann Epidemiol. Jun 2006;16(6):439-447.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: September 19, 2005
The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that infants with higher levels of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from fossil fuel combustion may be at greater risk of developing respiratory symptoms. The study was carried out in a cohort of 333 newborns in Krakow, Poland, followed over the first year […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Galas A, Pac A, et al. Prenatal ambient air exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms over the first year of life. Eur J Epidemiol. 2005;20(9):775-782.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: September 2, 2005
The study is a part of an ongoing prospective cohort study on the relationship between the exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and birth outcomes and health of newborns. We have measured personal PM2.5 level in the group of 407 non-smoking pregnant women during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. On average, the participants from the […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Pac A, et al. Variability of total exposure to PM2.5 related to indoor and outdoor pollution sources Krakow study in pregnant women. Sci Total Environ. Jul 31 2006;366(1):47-54.
2011
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: November 11, 2011
Objective: We previously reported an association between prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and lower birth weight, birth length, and head circumference. The main goal of the present analysis was to assess the possible impact of coexposure to PAH containing barbecued meat consumed during pregnancy on birth outcomes. Materials and Methods: The birth […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera FP, Tang D, et al. Impact of barbecued meat consumed in pregnancy on birth outcomes accounting for personal prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Birth cohort study in Poland. Nutrition. Nov 11 2011.
Current Needs and Future Directions of Occupational Safety and Heath in a Globalized World
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: October 20, 2011
This summary provides a synopsis of talks included in a symposium entitled ‘‘Current Needs and Future Directions of Occupational Safety and Heath in a Globalized World’’. The purpose of the symposium was to (1) highlight national and international agencies with occupational health related activities; (2) address electronic (e-)waste issues in developing countries where exposures are […]
Citation: Perera FP, Li TY, Lin C, Tang D, Gilbert SG, Kang SK, Aschner M. Current needs and future directions of occupational safety and heath in a globalized world. Neurotoxicology. Oct 20.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: September 6, 2011
Background: Research suggests prenatal phthalate exposures affect child executive function and behavior. Objectives: To evaluate associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal prenatal urine and mental, motor and behavioral development in children at age 3 years. Methods: Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and 4 di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites were measured in a […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Liu X, Rauh VA, Calafat AM, Just AC, Hoepner L, Diaz D, Quinn J, Adibi J, Perera FP, Factor-Litvak P. Maternal Prenatal Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Child Mental, Psychomotor and Behavioral Development at Age Three Years. Environ Health Perspect. Sep 6.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: August 19, 2011
Exposures to ambient air traffic-related pollutants and their sources have been associated with respiratory and asthma morbidity in children. However, longitudinal investigation of the effects of traffic-related exposures during early childhood is limited. We examined associations of residential proximity and density of traffic and stationary sources of air pollution with wheeze, asthma, and immunoglobulin (Ig) […]
Citation: Patel MM, Quinn JW, Jung KH, et al. Traffic density and stationary sources of air pollution associated with wheeze, asthma, and immunoglobulin E from birth to age 5 years among New York City children. Environmental Research. 2011;111(8):1222-1229.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: July 8, 2011
In the last decade, the neurologic effects of various air pollutants have been the focus of increasing attention. The main purpose of this study was to assess the potential impact of early childhood exposure to indoor molds on the subsequent cognitive function of 6-year old children. The results of this study are based on the […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Maugeri U, Perera F, et al. Cognitive function of 6-year old children exposed to mold-contaminated homes in early postnatal period. Prospective birth cohort study in Poland. Physiol. Behav. Oct 24 2011;104(5):989-995.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: June 11, 2011
The main goal of the study was to assess the effect of exclusive breastfeeding on the neurodevelopment of children over a 7-year follow-up period and to test the hypothesis that the observed cognitive gain in breastfed children in the first years of life is a strong predictor of their cognitive development trajectory, which may be […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Jankowski J, et al. Effect of exclusive breastfeeding on the development of children's cognitive function in the Krakow prospective birth cohort study. Eur. J. Pediatr. Jan 2012;171(1):151-158.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons impair β2AR function in airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: May 26, 2011
Rationale: Incomplete combustion produces a pollutant mixture that includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Prior work by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) and others has linked exposure to PAH with asthma symptoms and other adverse health effects in young children. Inhaled β2-adrenergic agonists are mainstays in the treatment of reactive airways diseases. These […]
Citation: Factor P, Akhmedov AT, McDonald JD, Qu A, Wu J, Jiang H, Dasgupta T, Panettieri RA, Jr., Perera F, Miller RL. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons impair function of beta2-adrenergic receptors in airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. Nov;45(5):1045-1049.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: May 16, 2011
Consideration of the relationship between residential floor level and concentration of traffic related airborne pollutants may predict individual residential exposure among inner city dwellers more accurately. Our objective was to characterize the vertical gradient of residential levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH; dichotomized into Σ8PAHsemivolatile (MW 178–206), and Σ8PAHnonvolatile (MW 228–278), black carbon (BC), PM2.5 […]
Citation: Jung KH, Bernabe K, Moors K, Yan B, Chillrud SN, Whyatt R, Camann D, Kinney PL, Perera FP, Miller RL. Effects of Floor Level and Building Type on Residential Levels of Outdoor and Indoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Black Carbon, and Particulate Matter in New York City. Atmosphere (Basel). May 16 2011;2(2):96-109
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: May 10, 2011
Environmental contaminants pose a threat to infant neurodevelopment. In this current paper, we discuss evidence for the potentially harmful impact of fetal and early childhood exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and organophosphorus (OP) insecticides. We focus on effects resulting from chronic and low-level exposure during the prenatal period and early […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Horton MK, Miller RL, Whyatt RM, Perera F. Neonatology and the Environment: Impact of Early Exposure to Airborne Environmental Toxicants on Infant and Child Neurodevelopment. Neoreviews. 2011;11:363-369.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 30, 2011
Background: Asthma prevalence varies widely among neighborhoods within New York City. Exposure to mouse and cockroach allergens has been suggested as a cause. Objective: To test the hypotheses that children living in high asthma prevalence neighborhoods (HAPNs) would have higher concentrations of cockroach and mouse allergens in their homes than children in low asthma prevalence […]
Citation: Olmedo O, Goldstein IF, Acosta L, Divjan A, Rundle AG, Chew GL, Mellins RB, Hoepner L, Andrews H, Lopez-Pintado S, Quinn JW, Perera FP, Miller RL, Jacobson JS, Perzanowski MS. Neighborhood differences in exposure and sensitization to cockroach, mouse, dust mite, cat, and dog allergens in New York City. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Apr 30 2011.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 21, 2011
BACKGROUND: In a longitudinal birth cohort study of inner-city mothers and children (Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health), we have previously reported that prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF) was associated with neurodevelopmental problems at child age 3 years. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the study was to estimate the relationship between prenatal CPF exposure and neurodevelopment […]
Citation: Rauh V, Arunajadai S, Horton M, Perera F, Hoepner L, Barr DB, Whyatt R. Seven-year neurodevelopmental scores and prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common agricultural pesticide. Environ Health Perspect. Aug;119(8):1196-1201.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 14, 2011
BACKGROUND: Prior research has linked maternal prenatal and postnatal mental health with the subsequent development of asthma in children. However, this relationship has not been examined in inner-city African Americans and Hispanics, populations at high risk for asthma. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of maternal demoralization with wheeze, specific wheeze phenotypes, and seroatopy among children […]
Citation: Reyes M, Perzanowski MS, Whyatt RM, et al. Relationship between maternal demoralization, wheeze, and immunoglobulin E among inner-city children. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2011;107(1):42-49.e41.
PAH/Aromatic DNA Adducts in Cord Blood and Behavior Scores in New York City Children
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 12, 2011
Background. Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are widespread urban pollutants that can bind to DNA to form PAH-DNA adducts. Prenatal PAH exposure measured by personal monitoring has been linked to cognitive deficits in childhood in a prospective study conducted by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH). Objectives. We measured PAH-DNA and other bulky […]
Citation: Perera FP, Wang S, Vishnevetsky J, Zhang B, Cole KJ, Tang D, Rauh V, Phillips DH. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-aromatic DNA adducts in cord blood and behavior scores in New York city children. Environ Health Perspect. Aug;119(8):1176-1181.
Wheezing and asthma may be enhanced by broad spectrum antibiotics used in early childhood
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: April 1, 2011
One of the mechanisms supposed to explain the increasing prevalence of asthma, among children in particular, is the use of antibiotics because they may modify natural microbial exposure and development of the immune system in early childhood. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the use of various classes of antibiotics […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Wheezing and asthma may be enhanced by broad spectrum antibiotics used in early childhood. Concept and results of a pharmacoepidemiology study. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. Apr 2011;62(2):189-195.
Cancer: the big questions to address in coming years.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: March 31, 2011
Molecular epidemiology was introduced in the study of cancer in the early 1980s, with the expectation that it would help overcome some important limitations of epidemiology and facilitate cancer prevention. Since then, it has become clear that the great majority of cancers are in theory preventable because the factors that determine their incidence are largely […]
Citation: Perera FP. Cancer: The Big Questions to Address in Coming Years. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2011;20(4):571-573.
Impact of prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide and permethrin on 36-month neurodevelopment.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: February 7, 2011
OBJECTIVE: Recent pesticide-monitoring results suggest that a shift in residential pesticide exposure from organophosphorus insecticides to pyrethroid insecticides has occurred. Pyrethroid insecticides are potential neurodevelopmental toxicants and have not been evaluated for developmental toxicity. Our objective was to explore the association between prenatal exposure to permethrin (acommonpyrethroid) and piperonyl butoxide (a pyrethroid synergist) and 36-month […]
Citation: Horton MK, Rundle A, Camann DE, Barr DB, Rauh VA, Whyatt RM. Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Piperonyl Butoxide and Permethrin on 36-Month Neurodevelopment. Pediatrics. Feb 7 2011
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: February 3, 2011
Background: As there is a scarcity of evidence on potential hazards and preventive factors for infantile eczema operating in the prenatal period, the main goal of this study was to assess the role of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the occurrence of infant eczema jointly with the possible […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Effects of Prenatal and Perinatal Exposure to Fine Air Pollutants and Maternal Fish Consumption on the Occurrence of Infantile Eczema. Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. Feb 3 2011;155(3):275-281.
Cost of Developmental Delay from Prenatal Exposure to Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: February 22, 2011
Early life exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can result in developmental delay. The negative health effects of PAHs have been well-documented but the cost of developmental delay due to PAH exposure has not been studied. The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health previously has reported the significant effect of prenatal exposure to ambient […]
Citation: Weiland K, Neidell M, Rauh V, Perera F. Cost of developmental delay from prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Health Care Poor Underserved. Feb;22(1):320-329.
Prenatal environmental exposures, epigenetics, and disease
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: January 20, 2011
This review summarizes recent evidence that prenatal exposure to diverse environmental chemicals dysregulates the fetal epigenome, with potential consequences for subsequent developmental disorders and disease manifesting in childhood, over the lifecourse, or even transgenerationally. The primordial germ cells, embryo, and fetus are highly susceptible to epigenetic dysregulation by environmental chemicals, which can thereby exert multiple […]
Citation: Perera F, Herbstman J. Prenatal environmental exposures, epigenetics, and disease. Reproductive Toxicology. 2011;31(3):363-373.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: January 18, 2011
Exposure of black carbon (BC) is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. A number of optical methods for estimating BC on Teflon filters have been adopted but most assume all light absorption is due to BC while other sources of colored particulate matter exist. Recently, a four-wavelength optical reflectance measurement for distinguishing second […]
Citation: Yan, B., D. Kennedy, R.L. Miller, J.P. Cowin, K.H. Jung, M. Perzanowski, M. Balletta, F.P. Perera, P.L. Kinney, and S.N. Chillrud, Validating a nondestructive optical method for apportioning colored particulate matter into black carbon and additional components. Atmos Environ, 2011.
2010
Prenatal PAH exposure is associated with chromosome-specific aberrations in cordblood
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: December 21, 2010
Chromosomal aberrations area ssociated with increased cancer risk in adults. Previously, we demonstrated that stable aberrations involving chromosomes 1–6 in cord blood are associated with prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) measured in air and are disproportionate to genomic content. We now examine whether the association with air PAHs is chromosome-specific and extends to […]
Citation: Orjuela MA, Liu X, Warburton D, Siebert AL, Cujar C, Tang D, Jobanputra V, Perera FP. Prenatal PAH exposure is associated with chromosome-specific aberrations in cord blood. Mutat Res. Dec 21;703(2):108-114.
Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, environmental tobacco smoke and asthma.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: December 15, 2010
Background: Previously, we reported that prenatal exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and postnatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in combination were associated with respiratory symptoms at ages 1 and 2 years. Here, we hypothesized that children exposed to both prenatal PAH and ETS may be at greater risk of asthma and seroatopy at ages 5–6 […]
Citation: Rosa MJ, Jung KH, Perzanowski MS, et al. Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, environmental tobacco smoke and asthma. Respiratory Medicine. 2011;105(6):869-876
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: November 20, 2010
Background Several in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that metal-rich particles may enhance allergic responses to house dust mites and induce an increased release of allergy-related cytokines. Objectives The main goal of this analysis is to define the possible association of intrauterine exposure to lead and mercury with the occurrence of skin sensitization […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Intrauterine exposure to lead may enhance sensitization to common inhalant allergens in early childhood: a prospective prebirth cohort study. Environ. Res. Jan 2011;111(1):119-124.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: November 10, 2010
Exposure to air pollutants has been associated with adverse health effects. However, analyses of the effects of season and ambient parameters such as ozone have not been fully conducted. Residential indoor and outdoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), black carbon (measured as absorption coefficient [Abs]), and fine particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM)2.5 were […]
Citation: Jung KH, Patel MM, Moors K, et al. Effects of heating season on residential indoor and outdoor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, black carbon, and particulate matter in an urban birth cohort. Atmospheric Environment. 2010;44(36):4545-4552.
Bulky DNA adducts in white blood cells: a pooled analysis of 3,600 subjects.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: October 4, 2010
Background: Bulky DNA adducts are markers of exposure to genotoxic aromatic compounds, which reflect the ability of an individual to metabolically activate carcinogens and to repair DNA damage. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a major class of carcinogens that are capable of forming such adducts. Factors that have been reported to be related to DNA […]
Citation: Ricceri F, Godschalk RW, Peluso M, et al. Bulky DNA adducts in white blood cells: a pooled analysis of 3600 subjects. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Oct 4 2010;19(12):3174-3181.
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide exchange parameters among 9-year-old inner-city children
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: September 16, 2010
Objectives and Hypothesis: To determine the feasibility of using a multiple flow offline fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) collection method in an inner-city cohort and determine this population’s alveolar and conducting airway contributions of NO. We hypothesized that the flow independent NO parameters would be associated differentially with wheeze and seroatopy. Methods: As part of […]
Citation: Rosa MJ, Divjan A, Hoepner L, et al. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide exchange parameters among 9-year-old inner-city children. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2011;46(1):83-91.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: August 30, 2010
Background: This study attempted to clarify the household and mother’s lifestyle factors that contribute to the greater fetal vulnerability of African-American individuals to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Methods: Non-smoking pregnant women with no known risks of adverse birth outcome were monitored for their personal exposure to airborne PAH. Birth outcomes were collected from the […]
Citation: Choi H, Perera FP. Sources of greater fetal vulnerability to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among African Americans. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 2010;66(2):121-126.
Environmental epigenetics and allergic diseases: recent advances
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: August 16, 2010
Significant strides in the understanding of the role of epigenetic regulation in asthma and allergy using both epidemiological approaches as well as experimental ones have been made. This review focuses on new research within the last 2 years. These include advances in determining how environmental agents implicated in airway disease can induce epigenetic changes, how […]
Citation: Kuriakose JS, Miller RL. Environmental epigenetics and allergic diseases: recent advances. Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 2010;40(11):1602-1610.
Cord blood versus age 5 mononuclear cell proliferation on IgE and asthma
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: August 4, 2010
Background: Fetal immune responses following exposure of mothers to allergens during pregnancy may influence the subsequent risk of childhood asthma. However, the association of allergen-induced cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) proliferation and cytokine production with later allergic immune responses and asthma has been controversial. Our objective was to compare indoor allergen-induced CBMC with age 5 […]
Citation: Chang C, Gauvey-Kern K, Johnson A, et al. Cord blood versus age 5 mononuclear cell proliferation on IgE and asthma. Clinical and Molecular Allergy. 2010;8(1):11.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: June 22, 2010
Impaired fetal development is associated with a number of adult chronic diseases and it is believed that these associations arise as a result of the phenomenon of prenatal programming, which involves persisting changes in structure and function of various body organs caused by ambient factors during critical and vulnerable periods of early development. The main […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Maugeri U, et al. Effect of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter on ventilatory lung function of preschool children of non-smoking mothers. Paediatr. Perinat. Epidemiol. Sep 2010;24(5):492-501.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: June 16, 2010
The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) previously reported widespread residential insecticide use in urban communities in New York City. Research suggests that pyrethroids are replacing organophosphates (OPs) in response to 2000–2001 US EPA pesticide regulations restricting OP use. A systematic assessment of active ingredients used for residential pest control is lacking. We queried […]
Citation: Horton MK, Jacobson JB, McKelvey W, et al. Characterization of residential pest control products used in inner city communities in New York City. J Expos Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2011;21(3):291-301.
Prenatal allergen and diesel exhaust exposure and their effects on allergy in adult offspring mice.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: May 11, 2010
Background: Multiple studies have suggested that prenatal exposure to either allergens or air pollution may increase the risk for the development of allergic immune responses in young offspring. However, the effects of prenatal environmental exposures on adult offspring have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that combined prenatal exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) allergen and […]
Citation: Lin L, Zhu H, Quan C, et al. Prenatal allergen and diesel exhaust exposure and their effects on allergy in adult offspring mice. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2010;6(1):7.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: May 6, 2010
Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) has been associated with allergic sensitization and asthma. We hypothesized that increased urinary PAH metabolites are associated with allergy or asthma among children age 5 yrs in an inner-city birth cohort. As part of an ongoing prospective birth cohort under the auspices of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental […]
Citation: Miller RL, Garfinkel R, Lendor C, Hoepner L, Li Z, Romanoff L, Sjodin A, Needham L, Perera FP, Whyatt RM. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolite levels and pediatric allergy and asthma in an inner-city cohort. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. Mar 2010;21(2 Pt 1):260-267.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: April 27, 2010
The application of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)-toxic equivalent factor to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) concentrations can provide a more accurate risk assessment from environmental exposure to PAH. We hypothesized that BaP-equivalent toxicity determined following residential air monitoring among young urban children may vary by season. Residential indoor and outdoor air levels of PAH measured over two-weeks in […]
Citation: Jung KH, Yan B, Chillrud SN, et al. Assessment of Benzo(a)pyrene-equivalent Carcinogenicity and Mutagenicity of Residential Indoor versus Outdoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Exposing Young Children in New York City. Int J Environ Res Public Health. May 2010;7(5):1889-1900.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: April 27, 2010
The main goal of the study was to determine the relationship between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) measured by PAH-DNA adducts in umbilical cord blood and early wheeze. The level of PAH-DNA adducts in the cord blood is assumed to reflect the cumulative dose of PAHs absorbed by the foetus over the prenatal […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Maugeri U, et al. Intrauterine exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fine particulate matter and early wheeze. Prospective birth cohort study in 4-year olds. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. Jun 2010;21(4 Pt 2):e723-732.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: April 14, 2010
BACKGROUND: In this prospective cohort study of Caucasian mothers and children in Krakow, Poland, we evaluated the role of prenatal exposure to urban air pollutants in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral disorders. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and child intelligence at 5 years […]
Citation: Edwards SC, Jedrychowski W, Butscher M, et al. Prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and children's intelligence at 5 years of age in a prospective cohort study in Poland. Environ. Health Perspect. Sep 2010;118(9):1326-1331.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: March 31, 2010
Diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are used extensively in personal care products, including fragrances (DEP) and nail polish (DnBP). Between May 2003 and July 2006, we gathered questionnaire data on use of 7 product categories (deodorant, perfume, hair spray, hair gel, nail polish/polish remover, liquid soap/body wash, lotion/mist) over 48 hours during the […]
Citation: Just AC, Adibi JJ, Rundle AG, et al. Urinary and air phthalate concentrations and self-reported use of personal care products among minority pregnant women in New York city. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. Nov 2010;20(7):625-633.
Year Published: 2011, E-Published: March 18, 2010
Objectives. We evaluated whether neighborhood characteristics correlated with early neurodevelopment and whether these characteristics confounded the previously reported association between exposure to chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate insecticide) and neurodevelopment. Methods. We obtained prenatal addresses, chlorpyrifos exposure data, and 36-month Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) and Mental Development Index (MDI) scores for a birth cohort in New York […]
Citation: Lovasi GS, Quinn JW, Rauh VA, et al. Chlorpyrifos Exposure and Urban Residential Environment Characteristics as Determinants of Early Childhood Neurodevelopment. Am J Public Health. January 2011;101(1):63-70.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: February 4, 2010
Background/Aim The objective of this study was to assess a hypothesized beneficial effect of fish consumption during the last trimester of pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes resulting from prenatal exposure to fine air particulate matter. Methods The cohort consisted of 481 nonsmoking women with singleton pregnancies, of 18–35 years of age, who gave birth at […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Mrozek-Budzyn D, et al. Higher fish consumption in pregnancy may confer protection against the harmful effect of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 2010;56(2):119-126.
Prenatal exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: January 4, 2010
Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used flame retardant compounds that are persistent and bioaccumulative and therefore have become ubiquitous environment contaminants. Animal studies suggest that prenatal PBDE exposure may result in adverse neurodevelopmental effects. Objective: In a longitudinal cohort initiated after 11 September 2001, including 329 mothers who delivered in one of three […]
Citation: Herbstman JB, Sjodin A, Kurzon M, et al. Prenatal exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment. Environ Health Perspect. May 2010;118(5):712-719.
2009-2006
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: October 26, 2009
The health impact of environmental toxins has gained increasing recognition over the years. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are known to affect nervous system development in children, but no studies have investigated how polymorphisms in PAH metabolic or detoxification genes affect child cognitive development following PAH exposure during pregnancy. In two […]
Citation: Wang S, Chanock S, Tang D, et al. Effect of gene-environment Interactions on mental development in African American, Dominican, and Caucasian mothers and newborns. Ann. Hum. Genet. Jan 2010;74(1):46-56.
Prenatal acetaminophen exposure and risk of cohort wheeze at age 5 years in an urban low-income
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: October 22, 2009
Background: Acetaminophen has been associated with asthma and is in part metabolised via the glutathione pathway. Inner-city minority children have high asthma morbidity and a relatively high frequency of a minor allele variant in the glutathione S transferase Pi gene (GSTP1). We hypothesised that prenatal acetaminophen exposure would predict wheeze at age 5 years in […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Miller RL, Tang D, Ali D, Garfinkel RS, Chew GL, Goldstein IF, Perera FP, Barr RG. Prenatal acetaminophen exposure and risk of wheeze at age 5 years in an urban low-income cohort. Thorax. Feb 2010;65(2):118-123.
Year Published: 2010, E-Published: September 15, 2009
Background: Phthalates can alter steroidogenesis and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)–mediated transcription in rodent tissues. The placenta offers a rich source of biomarkers to study these relationships in humans. Objective: We evaluated whether gestational phthalate exposures in humans were associated with altered human placental steroidogenesis and trophoblast differentiation as measured by markers of mRNA transcription. […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Whyatt RM, Hauser R, et al. Transcriptional biomarkers of steroidogenesis and trophoblast differentiation in the placenta in relation to prenatal phthalate exposure. Environ Health Perspect. Feb 2010;118(2):291-296.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: September 10, 2009
Rationale: The effects of exposure to specific components of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), including metals and elemental carbon (EC), have not been fully characterized in young children. Objectives: To compare temporal associations among PM2.5; individual metal constituents of ambient PM2.5, including nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn); and EC and longitudinal reports of […]
Citation: Patel MM, Hoepner L, Garfinkel R, et al. Ambient metals, elemental carbon, and wheeze and cough in New York City children through 24 months of age. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Dec 2009;180(11):1107-1113.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: August 1, 2009
The fetus is more susceptible than the adult to the effects of certain carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Nutritional factors, including antioxidants, have been shown to have a protective effect on carcinogen-DNA adducts and cancer risk in adults. We investigated whether the effect of prenatal airborne PAH exposure, measured by personal air monitoring […]
Citation: Kelvin EA, Edwards S, Jedrychowski W, et al. Modulation of the effect of prenatal PAH exposure on PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood by plasma antioxidants. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Aug 2009;18(8):2262-2268.
Prenatal airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and child IQ at age 5 years.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: July 20, 2009
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the relationship between prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and child intelligence. METHODS: Children of nonsmoking black or Dominican-American women residing in New York City were monitored from in utero to 5 years of age, with determination of prenatal PAH exposure through personal air monitoring for the mothers during […]
Citation: Perera FP, Li Z, Whyatt R, et al. Prenatal airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and child IQ at age 5 years. Pediatrics. Aug 2009;124(2):e195-202.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: July 6, 2009
Prenatal exposures such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and early postnatal environmental exposures are of particular concern because of the heightened susceptibility of the fetus and infant to diverse environmental pollutants. Marked inter-individual variation in response to the same level of exposure was observed in both mothers and their newborns, indicating that susceptibility might be due […]
Citation: Wang S, Zheng T, Chanock S, Jedrychowski W, Perera FP. Methods for detecting interactions between genetic polymorphisms and prenatal environment exposure with a mother-child design. Genet. Epidemiol. Feb 2010;34(2):125-132.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: N/A
Phthalates, pesticides, and bisphenol-A (BPA) are three groups of chemicals, implicated in endocrine disruption and commonly found in the local environment, that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergies [1-3]. Multiple observational studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to phthalates and the development of asthma and allergies in humans. Associations with […]
Citation: Kwak ES, Just A, Whyatt R, Miller RL. Phthalates, Pesticides, and Bisphenol-A Exposure and the Development of Nonoccupational Asthma and Allergies: How Valid Are the Links? Open Allergy J. 2009;2:45-50
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: June 22, 2009
The main purpose of the study was to answer the question whether young children without clinical diagnosis of asthma but experiencing early wheezing disorders and therefore being at high risk of developing asthma may have cognitive deficits. In the ongoing birth cohort study wheezing symptoms were recorded postpartum over two first years of age and […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera FP, Jankowski J, et al. Early wheezing phenotypes and cognitive development of 3-yr-olds. Community-recruited birth cohort study. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. May 2010;21(3):550-556.
Prenatal di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure and length of gestation among an inner-city cohort
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: June 9, 2009
OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the relationship between di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) exposure during pregnancy and gestational age at delivery among 311 African American or Dominican women from New York City. METHODS: Forty-eight-hour personal air and/or spot urine samples were collected during the third trimester. DEHP levels were measured in air samples and 4 DEHP metabolite […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Adibi JJ, Calafat AM, et al. Prenatal di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure and length of gestation among an inner-city cohort. Pediatrics. Dec 2009;124(6):e1213-1220.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: May 17, 2009
The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between very low-level of prenatal lead exposure measured in the cord blood (< 5 µg/dL) and possible gender-specific cognitive deficits in the course of the first three years of life. The accumulated lead dose in infants over the pregnancy period was measured by the cord blood […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Jankowski J, et al. Gender specific differences in neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal exposure to very low-lead levels: The prospective cohort study in three-year olds. Early Hum. Dev. 2009;85(8):503-510.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: April 15, 2009
Background: Cockroaches and mice, which are common in urban homes, are sources of allergens capable of triggering asthma symptoms. Traditional pest control involves the use of scheduled applications of pesticides by professionals as well as pesticide use by residents. In contrast, integrated pest management (IPM) involves sanitation, building maintenance, and limited use of least toxic […]
Citation: Kass D, McKelvey W, Carlton E, et al. Effectiveness of an Integrated Pest Management Intervention in Controlling Cockroaches, Mice, and Allergens in New York City Public Housing. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(8).
Air pollution and childhood asthma: recent advances and future directions
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: April 1, 2009
Purpose of review Current levels of air pollution are consistently associated with asthma development and morbidity among children, suggesting that current regulatory policies may be insufficient. This review will describe recent studies that have examined specific emission sources or components of pollutants that may be associated with pediatric asthma and identify subpopulations that may be […]
Citation: Patel MM, Miller RL. Air pollution and childhood asthma: recent advances and future directions. Curr Opin Pediatr. Apr 2009;21(2):235-242.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: February 27, 2009
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer used in consumer and medical products that can cross the placenta, disrupt steroid hormone synthesis, and activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. The authors examined DEHP exposure in relation to the timing of labor in a pregnancy cohort study of 283 women recruited in 4 US states (California, Iowa, Minnesota, […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Hauser R, Williams PL, et al. Maternal Urinary Metabolites of Di-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate in Relation to the Timing of Labor in a US Multicenter Pregnancy Cohort Study. American Journal of Epidemiology. April 2009;169(8):1015-1024.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: February 16, 2009
In a longitudinal cohort of ~700 children in New York City, the prevalence of asthma (>25%) is among the highest in the US. This high risk may in part be caused by transplacental exposure to traffic-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) but biomarkers informative of PAH-asthma relationships is lacking. We here hypothesized that epigenetic marks associated […]
Citation: Perera F, Tang WY, Herbstman J, et al. Relation of DNA methylation of 5'-CpG island of ACSL3 to transplacental exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood asthma. PLoS One. 2009;4(2):e4488.
Year Published: 2009, E-Published: December 5, 2008
Background: We previously documented significant decreases in chlorpyrifos concentrations in maternal personal and indoor air samples among pregnant African-American and Dominican women from New York City after the 2000–2001 restrictions on its residential use. Objective: We undertook a biomarker validation study within the same cohort to evaluate trends over time in multiple biomarkers of prenatal […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Garfinkel R, Hoepner LA, et al. A biomarker validation study of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure within an inner-city cohort during pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2009;117(4):559-567.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: November 8, 2008
Background: The relationships between cockroach and mouse allergen exposure, anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE, and wheeze, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in children as young as age 3 years are of public health importance but have not been thoroughly evaluated. Objective: We hypothesized that inner-city children might have anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE by age 3 years, and […]
Citation: Donohue KM, Al-alem U, Perzanowski MS, et al. Anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE are associated with early wheeze and atopy in an inner-city birth cohort. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Nov 2008;122(5):914-920.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: October 27, 2008
The purpose of this study was to assess an impact of prenatal exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) on the risk of developing respiratory symptoms in early childhood. The study was carried out in a cohort of 465 newborns in Krakow (Poland) who have been followed over the first two years of life. The children exposed […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Maugeri U, et al. Effect of prenatal exposure to fine particles and postnatal indoor air quality on the occurrence of respiratory symptoms in the first two years of life. International Journal of Environment and Health. 2008;2(3):314-329.
Epigenetic Studies Should Focus on Specific Cell Types
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: October 15, 2008
We thank Drs. Guo, Williams, and Georas for their thoughtful comments on our pulmonary perspective (1). Their suggestion that future studies need to examine the mechanisms by which environmental exposures induce epigenetic modifications in specific lung cell types is important. Our understanding would be heightened even further by human research studies that examine cell-specific responses. […]
Citation: Miller R, Ho SM. Epigenetic Studies Should Focus on Specific Cell Types. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. October 15, 2008 2008;178(8):883, letter.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: October 1, 2008
Traffic-related air pollutants have been associated with adverse health effects. We hypothesized that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), elemental carbon (EC, diesel indicator), particulate matter (PM2.5), and a suite of metals declined from 1998 to 2006 in NYC due to policy interventions. PAH levels from personal monitoring of pregnant mothers participating in the Columbia’s […]
Citation: Narvaez RF, Hoepner L, Chillrud SN, et al. Spatial and temporal trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other traffic-related airborne pollutants in New York City. Environ Sci Technol. Oct 1 2008;42(19):7330-7335.
Air pollution threatens the health of children in China.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: September 1, 2008
CONTEXT. China’s rapid economic development has come at the cost of severe environmental degradation, most notably from coal combustion. Outdoor air pollution is associated with >300000 deaths, 20 million cases of respiratory illness, and a health cost of >500 billion renminbi (>3% of gross domestic product) annually. The young are particularly susceptible to air pollution, […]
Citation: Millman A, Tang D, Perera FP. Air pollution threatens the health of children in China. Pediatrics. Sep 2008;122(3):620-628.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: August 15, 2008
Background: Widespread residential pesticide use throughout the United States has resulted in ubiquitous, low-level pesticide exposure. The mix of active pesticide ingredients is changing in response to 2000–2001 regulations restricting use of the organophosphorus insecticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon. Objectives: We aimed to determine the impact of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on pest infestation levels, […]
Citation: Williams MK, Rundle A, Holmes D, et al. Changes in pest infestation levels, self-reported pesticide use, and permethrin exposure during pregnancy after the 2000-2001 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency restriction of organophosphates. Environ Health Perspect. Dec 2008;116(12):1681-1688.
Housing and health: intersection of poverty and environmental exposures
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: July 25, 2008
The importance of adequate housing for the maintenance of health and well-being has long been a topic of scientific and public health policy discussion, but the links remain elusive. Here we explore the role of the residential environment in the etiology of illness (specifically asthma) and the persistence of socioeconomic health disparities. Housing conditions, shaped […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Landrigan PJ, Claudio L. Housing and health: intersection of poverty and environmental exposures. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008;1136:276-288.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: July 16, 2008
OBJECTIVES: Current understanding on health effects of long-term polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure is limited by lack of data on time-varying nature of the pollutants at an individual level. In a cohort of pregnant women in Krakow, Poland, we examined the contribution of temporal, spatial, and behavioral factors to prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs within […]
Citation: Choi H, Perera F, Pac A, et al. Estimating individual-level exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons throughout the gestational period based on personal, indoor, and outdoor monitoring. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2008;116(11):1509-1518.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: July 14, 2008
BACKGROUND: Coal burning provides 70% of the energy for China’s industry and power, but releases large quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other pollutants. PAHs are reproductive and developmental toxicants, mutagens, and carcinogens. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the benefit to neurobehavioral development from the closure of a coal-fired power plant that was the major local […]
Citation: Perera F, Li TY, Zhou ZJ, et al. Benefits of reducing prenatal exposure to coal-burning pollutants to children's neurodevelopment in China. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2008;116(10):1396-1400.
Children Are Likely to Suffer Most from Our Fossil Fuel Addiction
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: April 16, 2008
BACKGROUND: The periods of fetal and child development arguably represent the stages of greatest vulnerability to the dual impacts of fossil fuel combustion: the multiple toxic effects of emitted pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particles, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, metals) and the broad health impacts of global climate change attributable in large part to carbon dioxide […]
Citation: Perera FP. Children are likely to suffer most from our fossil fuel addiction. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2008;116(8):987-990.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: April 16, 2008
We examined the utility of a newly developed perceived air pollution (PAP) scale and of a modeled air pollution (MAP) scale derived from it for predicting previously observed birth outcomes of pregnant women enrolled following September 11, 2001. Women reported their home and work locations in the four weeks after September 11, 2001 and the […]
Citation: Lederman SA, Becker M, Sheets S, et al. Modeling exposure to air pollution from the WTC disaster based on reports of perceived air pollution. Risk Anal. Apr 2008;28(2):287-301.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: April 4, 2008
Background: Cat ownership is inversely associated with atopy and asthma in some areas of the world, but the relevance of cat ownership to allergic disease in the inner city is less known. Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between cat ownership and the development of early sensitization and wheeze. Methods: By using a prospective […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Chew GL, Divjan A, et al. Cat ownership is a risk factor for the development of anti-cat IgE but not current wheeze at age 5 years in an inner-city cohort. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Apr 2008;121(4):1047-1052.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: March 31, 2008
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine whether prenatal mercury exposure, including potential releases from the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, adversely affects fetal growth and child development. METHODS: We determined maternal and umbilical cord blood total mercury of nonsmoking women who delivered at term in lower Manhattan after 11 September 2001, and measured birth […]
Citation: Lederman SA, Jones RL, Caldwell KL, et al. Relation between cord blood mercury levels and early child development in a World Trade Center cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2008;116(8):1085-1091.
Emerging technology in molecular epidemiology: what epidemiologists need to know.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: March 19, 2008
Epidemiology has evolved with the development of new molecular technologies that refine the way we investigate the relationships between exposure and disease. While these novel tools open new opportunities to delve into the mechanisms of the molecular epidemiologic continuum, they also come with the challenge of ensuring their meaningful application in epidemiologic investigations. To train […]
Citation: Perera FP, Herbstman JB. Emerging technology in molecular epidemiology: what epidemiologists need to know. Epidemiology. Mar 2008;19(2):350-352.
DNA adducts and cancer risk in prospective studies: a pooled analysis and a meta-analysis
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: March 14, 2008
Bulky DNA adducts are biomarkers of exposure to aromatic compounds and of the ability of the individual to metabolically activate carcinogens and to repair DNA damage. Their ability to predict cancer onset is uncertain. We have performed a pooled analysis of three prospective studies on cancer risk in which bulky DNA adducts have been measured […]
Citation: Veglia F, Loft S, Matullo G, et al. DNA adducts and cancer risk in prospective studies: a pooled analysis and a meta-analysis. Carcinogenesis. May 2008;29(5):932-936.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 30, 2008
BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous air pollutants generated by combustion of organic material, including fossil fuel. OBJECTIVES: It has been an open question whether prenatal exposure to air pollution in general and PAHs in particular significantly increases the risk of intrauterine growth restriction, including small size for gestational age (SGA), and preterm delivery. […]
Citation: Choi H, Rauh V, Garfinkel R, Tu Y, Perera FP. Prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and risk of intrauterine growth restriction. Environ Health Perspect. May 2008;116(5):658-665.
Effects of prenatal exposure to coal-burning pollutants on children’s development in China.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 30, 2008
BACKGROUND: Environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead, and mercury are released by combustion of coal and other fossil fuels. OBJECTIVES: In the present study we evaluated the association between prenatal exposure to these pollutants and child development measured by the Gesell Developmental Schedules at 2 years of age. METHODS: The study was […]
Citation: Tang D, Li TY, Liu JJ, et al. Effects of prenatal exposure to coal-burning pollutants on children's development in China. Environ Health Perspect. May 2008;116(5):674-679.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 15, 2008
Background: Although urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites are frequently used as biomarkers in epidemiologic studies, variability during pregnancy has not been characterized. Methods: We measured phthalate metabolite concentrations in spot urine samples collected from 246 pregnant Dominican and African-American women. Twenty-eight women had repeat urine samples collected over a 6-week period. We also analyzed 48-hr […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Whyatt RM, Williams PL, et al. Characterization of phthalate exposure among pregnant women assessed by repeat air and urine samples. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2008;116(4):467-473.
Environmental Epigenetics and Asthma: Current Concepts and Call for Studies
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: January 10, 2008
Recent studies suggest that epigenetic regulation (heritable changes in gene expression that occur in the absence of alterations in DNA sequences) may in part mediate the complex gene-by-environment interactions that can lead to asthma. The variable natural history of asthma (i.e., incidence and remission of symptoms) may be a result of epigenetic changes, such as […]
Citation: Miller RL, Ho S-m. Environmental Epigenetics and Asthma: current concepts and calls for studies. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. March 15, 2008 2008;177(6):567-573.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: N/A
Background: Season of birth has been associated with the development of atopy and asthma. Relationships among a particular birth season, maternal allergen exposure during the birth season, and childhood development of allergies to allergens in higher concentration during the birth season may be important. Objective: To investigate the effects of winter birth (January 1 to […]
Citation: Lendor C, Johnson A, Perzanowski M, et al. Effects of winter birth season and prenatal cockroach and mouse allergen exposure on indoor allergen-specific cord blood mononuclear cell proliferation and cytokine production. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. Aug 2008;101(2):193-199.
Year Published: 2008, E-Published: November 27, 2007
Changes in methylation of CpG sites at the interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ promoters are associated with T helper (Th) 2 polarization in vitro. No previous studies have examined whether air pollution or allergen exposure alters methylation of these two genes in vivo. We hypothesized that diesel exhaust particles (DEP) would induce hypermethylation of the […]
Citation: Liu J, Ballaney M, Al-alem U, et al. Combined inhaled diesel exhaust particles and allergen exposure alter methylation of T helper genes and IgE production in vivo. Toxicol Sci. Mar 2008;102(1):76-81.
Molecular epidemiology and biomarkers in etiologic cancer research: the new in light of the old.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: N/A
The purpose of this review is to evaluate progress in molecular epidemiology over the past 24 years in cancer etiology and prevention to draw lessons for future research incorporating the new generation of biomarkers. Molecular epidemiology was introduced in the study of cancer in the early 1980s, with the expectation that it would help overcome […]
Citation: Vineis P, Perera F. Molecular epidemiology and biomarkers in etiologic cancer research: the new in light of the old. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Oct 2007;16(10):1954-1965.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: October 1, 2007
Background:Adverse postnatal health effects have been associated with compromised fetal growth, which makes it essential to understand its determinants. Significant effects of environmental pollutants on birth outcomes have been observed in our study population, and nutritional status may be an additional factor influencing fetal development and effects of environmental toxins. Objective:The objective of the study […]
Citation: Masters ET, Jedrychowski W, Schleicher RL, et al. Relation between prenatal lipid-soluble micronutrient status, environmental pollutant exposure, and birth outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr. Oct 2007;86(4):1139-1145.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: May 31, 2007
BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are air pollutants released by the World Trade Center (WTC) fires and urban combustion sources. BaP-DNA adducts provide a measure of PAH-specific genetic damage, which has been associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and cancer. We previously reported that levels of BaP-DNA adducts in maternal […]
Citation: Perera FP, Tang D, Rauh V, et al. Relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts, environmental tobacco smoke, and child development in the World Trade Center cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2007;115(10):1497-1502.
Risks in Using Nonrigorous Spanish Translations of Asthma Questionnaires
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: April 13, 2007
Taking into account the substantial growth occurring among Latino populations in the United States, and the fact that some Latino populations are especially vulnerable for asthma, correctly identifying asthma cases and symptoms among persons in these populations is critical. We evaluated potential problems inherent to the English-Spanish translation of asthma questionnaires, in particular the word […]
Citation: Narvaez R, Moors K, Miller R, Ramirez M. Risks in Using Nonrigorous Spanish Translations of Asthma Questionnaires. Chest. April 1, 2007 2007;131(4):1271-1272.
Year Published: 2007, E-Published: N/A
The main purpose of the study was to assess the occurrence of wheezing and lung function in non-smoking women exposed to various levels of fine particulate matter (FP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Out of the total study group, 152 women were included in the lower exposed group (PM2.5or PAHs […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Perera F, Whyatt R, et al. Wheezing and lung function measured in subjects exposed to various levels of fine particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Central European Journal of Medicine. 2007;2(1):66-78.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: December 11, 2006
Background: Residential insecticide use is widespread in the United States, but few data are available on the persistence and variability in levels in the indoor environment. Objective: The study aim was to assess within- and between-home variability in indoor-air insecticides over the final 2 months of pregnancy among a cohort of African-American and Dominican women […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Garfinkel R, Hoepner LA, et al. Within- and between-home variability in indoor-air insecticide levels during pregnancy among an inner-city cohort from New York City. Environ Health Perspect. Mar 2007;115(3):383-389.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: November 20, 2006
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos on 3-year neurodevelopment and behavior in a sample of inner-city minority children. METHODS. As part of an ongoing prospective cohort study in an inner-city minority population, neurotoxicant effects of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos were evaluated in 254 children through […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Garfinkel R, Perera FP, et al. Impact of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure on neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of life among inner-city children. Pediatrics. Dec 2006;118(6):e1845-1859.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: October 5, 2006
A growing body of evidence has been generated indicating that the fetus, infant, and young child are especially susceptible to environmental toxicants as diverse as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Exposures to these toxicants may be related to the increases in recent decades in childhood […]
Citation: Perera F, Viswanathan S, Whyatt R, Tang D, Miller RL, Rauh V. Children's environmental health research--highlights from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. Ann N Y Acad Sci. Sep 2006;1076:15-28.
International studies of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fetal growth
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: August 3, 2006
Objectives: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitously distributed human mutagens and carcinogens. However, lack of adequate air monitoring data has limited understanding of the effects of airborne PAHs on fetal growth. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined the association between prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs and birth weight, birth length, and birth head […]
Citation: Choi H, Jedrychowski W, Spengler J, et al. International studies of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fetal growth. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2006;114(11):1744-1750.
PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood and fetal and child development in a Chinese cohort.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: August 1, 2006
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important class of toxic pollutants released by fossil fuel combustion. Other pollutants include metals and particulate matter. PAH-DNA adducts, or benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) adducts as their proxy, provide a chemical-specific measure of individual biologically effective doses that have been associated with increased risk of cancer and adverse birth outcomes. In […]
Citation: Tang D, Li TY, Liu JJ, Chen YH, Qu L, Perera F. PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood and fetal and child development in a Chinese cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2006;114(8):1297-1300.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: July 27, 2006
Background: We previously reported widespread insecticide exposure during pregnancy among inner-city women from New York City. Here we report on a pilot intervention using integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pest infestations and residential insecticide exposures among pregnant New York City African-American and Latina women (25 intervention and 27 control homes). Methods:The IPM consisted of […]
Citation: Williams MK, Barr DB, Camann DE, et al. An intervention to reduce residential insecticide exposure during pregnancy among an inner-city cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2006;114(11):1684-1689.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: July 11, 2006
Background and Objectives: Early-life exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) can result in developmental delay as well as childhood asthma and increased risk of cancer. The high cost of childhood asthma related to ETS exposure has been widely recognized; however, the economic impact of ETS-related developmental delay has been less well understood. Methods and Results: […]
Citation: Miller T, Rauh VA, Glied SA, et al. The economic impact of early life environmental tobacco smoke exposure: early intervention for developmental delay. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2006;114(10):1585-1588.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: June 21, 2006
Given the widespread use of insecticides in the environment, it is important to perform studies evaluating their potential effects on humans. Organophosphate insecticides, such as chlorpyrifos, are being phased out; however, the use of pyrethroids in household pest control is increasing. While chlorpyrifos is relatively well studied, much less is known about the potential neurotoxicity […]
Citation: Mense SM, Sengupta A, Lan C, et al. The common insecticides cyfluthrin and chlorpyrifos alter the expression of a subset of genes with diverse functions in primary human astrocytes. Toxicol Sci. Sep 2006;93(1):125-135.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: April 24, 2006
Our prospective cohort study of nonsmoking African-American and Dominican mothers and children in New York City is evaluating the role of prenatal exposure to urban pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and pesticides, in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral disorders. We used the Bayley Scales of Infant Development to evaluate the effects […]
Citation: Perera FP, Rauh V, Whyatt RM, et al. Effect of prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of life among inner-city children. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2006;114(8):1287-1292.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: February 18, 2006
Background: Asthma prevalence is high in the inner city, and morbidity has been associated with cockroach and mouse allergens. Objective: To characterize the relationships among pests, allergens, pesticides, and asthma in New York City public housing. Methods: In 324 apartments, dust samples collected from beds and kitchens were analyzed for cockroach (Bla g 2) and […]
Citation: Chew GL, Carlton EJ, Kass D, et al. Determinants of cockroach and mouse exposure and associations with asthma in families and elderly individuals living in New York City public housing. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2006;97(4):502-513.
Endotoxin in inner-city homes: associations with wheeze and eczema in early childhood.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: February 14, 2006
Background: An inverse association between domestic exposure to endotoxin and atopy in childhood has been observed. The relevance of this aspect of the hygiene hypothesis to US inner-city communities that have disproportionately high asthma prevalence has not been determined. Objectives: To measure endotoxin in the dust from inner-city homes, evaluate associations between endotoxin and housing/lifestyle […]
Citation: Perzanowski MS, Miller RL, Thorne PS, et al. Endotoxin in inner-city homes: associations with wheeze and eczema in early childhood. J Allergy Clin Immunol. May 2006;117(5):1082-1089.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: January 12, 2006
Community–academic partnerships have demonstrated potential for studying and improving community and environmental health, but only recently have their policy impacts been systematically studied. This case study highlights the evolution, research, and policy processes and outcomes of a community based participatory research (CBPR) partnership that has had multilevel impacts on health policy concerning diesel bus emissions […]
Citation: Minkler M, Vásquez V, Shepard P. Promoting Environmental Health Policy Through Community Based Participatory Research: A Case Study from Harlem, New York. Journal of Urban Health. 2006;83(1):101-110.
Year Published: 2006, E-Published: September 2, 2005
The study is a part of an ongoing prospective cohort study on the relationship between the exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and birth outcomes and health of newborns. We have measured personal PM2.5 level in the group of 407 non-smoking pregnant women during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. On average, the participants from the […]
Citation: Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Pac A, et al. Variability of total exposure to PM2.5 related to indoor and outdoor pollution sources Krakow study in pregnant women. Sci Total Environ. Jul 31 2006;366(1):47-54.
2005-1998
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: November 7, 2005
PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to assess the cognitive and psychomotor status of 1-year-old infants whose mothers were exposed to low, but varying, amounts of mercury during pregnancy. METHODS: Mercury levels in cord and maternal blood at delivery were used to assess prenatal environmental exposure to mercury. Bayley Scales of Infant Development were […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Jankowski J, Flak E, et al. Effects of prenatal exposure to mercury on cognitive and psychomotor function in one-year-old infants: epidemiologic cohort study in Poland. Ann Epidemiol. Jun 2006;16(6):439-447.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: September 19, 2005
The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that infants with higher levels of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from fossil fuel combustion may be at greater risk of developing respiratory symptoms. The study was carried out in a cohort of 333 newborns in Krakow, Poland, followed over the first year […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Galas A, Pac A, et al. Prenatal ambient air exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms over the first year of life. Eur J Epidemiol. 2005;20(9):775-782.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: June 24, 2005
The National Children’s Study is considering a wide spectrum of airborne pollutants that are hypothesized to potentially influence pregnancy outcomes, neurodevelopment, asthma, atopy, immune development, obesity, and pubertal development. In this article we summarize six applicable exposure assessment lessons learned from the Centers for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research that may enhance the […]
Citation: Gilliland F, Avol E, Kinney P, et al. Air pollution exposure assessment for epidemiologic studies of pregnant women and children: lessons learned from the Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2005;113(10):1447-1454.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: June 24, 2005
In this article we examine sampling strategies and analytical methods used in a series of recent studies of children’s exposure to pesticides that may prove useful in the design and implementation of the National Children’s Study. We focus primarily on the experiences of four of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/ […]
Citation: Fenske RA, Bradman A, Whyatt RM, Wolff MS, Barr DB. Lessons learned for the assessment of children's pesticide exposure: critical sampling and analytical issues for future studies. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2005;113(10):1455-1462.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: June 24, 2005
Principles and practices of pediatric neurotoxicology are reviewed here with the purpose of guiding the design and execution of the planned National Children’s Study. The developing human central nervous system is the target organ most vulnerable to environmental chemicals. An investigation of the effects of environmental exposures on child development is a complex endeavor that […]
Citation: Dietrich KN, Eskenazi B, Schantz S, et al. Principles and practices of neurodevelopmental assessment in children: lessons learned from the Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2005;113(10):1437-1446.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: June 16, 2005
BACKGROUND: An inverse association between birth order and allergic disease has been widely observed, but has not been examined in the high asthma prevalence, inner-city populations of the United States. As part of an ongoing prospective birth cohort study, the prevalence of early phenotypes of asthma and/or allergy was compared with those reported in other […]
Citation: Goldstein IF, Perzanowski MS, Lendor C, et al. Prevalence of allergy symptoms and total IgE in a New York City cohort and their association with birth order. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. Jul 2005;137(3):249-257.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: May 12, 5
The National Children’s Study is a proposed longitudinal cohort study to evaluate the relationships between children’s health and the environment. Enrollment is estimated to begin in September 2005, and 100,000 children will be followed from preconception or early pregnancy until adulthood. Among multiple health outcomes, the study is proposing to investigate whether pre- and/or postnatal […]
Citation: Bradman A, Whyatt RM. Characterizing exposures to nonpersistent pesticides during pregnancy and early childhood in the National Children's Study: a review of monitoring and measurement methodologies. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2005;113(8):1092-1099.
Exposure Assessment Implications for the Design and Implementation of the National Children’s Study
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: May 12, 2005
Examining the influence of environmental exposures on various health indices is a critical component of the planned National Children’s Study (NCS). An ideal strategy for the exposure monitoring component of the NCS is to measure indoor and outdoor concentrations and personal exposures of children to a variety of pollutants, including ambient particulate and gaseous pollutants, […]
Citation: Ozkaynak H, Whyatt RM, Needham LL, Akland G, Quackenboss J. Exposure assessment implications for the design and implementation of the National Children's Study. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2005;113(8):1108-1115.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: April 25, 2005
The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health is using a combination of environmental and biologic measures to evaluate the effects of prenatal insecticide exposures among urban minorities in New York City. Of the 571 women enrolled, 85% report using some form of pest control during pregnancy and 46% report using exterminators, can sprays, and/or pest […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Camann D, Perera FP, et al. Biomarkers in assessing residential insecticide exposures during pregnancy and effects on fetal growth. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. Aug 7 2005;206(2):246-254.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: April 20, 2005
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic pollutants released by the World Trade Center (WTC) fires and various urban combustion sources. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a representative member of the class of PAHs. PAH–DNA adducts, or BaP–DNA adducts as their proxy, provide a measure of chemical-specific genetic damage that has been associated with increased risk of adverse […]
Citation: Perera FP, Tang D, Rauh V, et al. Relationships among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts, proximity to the World Trade Center, and effects on fetal growth. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2005;113(8):1062-1067.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: March 1, 2005
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), of which benzo[a]pyrene is a representative member, are combustion-related environmental pollutants and include known carcinogens. Laboratory animal studies indicate that the dose of PAHs to the fetus is on the order of a 10th that to the mother and that there is heightened susceptibility to PAH-induced carcinogenesis during the fetal and […]
Citation: Perera F, Tang D, Whyatt R, Lederman SA, Jedrychowski W. DNA damage from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons measured by benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts in mothers and newborns from Northern Manhattan, the World Trade Center Area, Poland, and China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Mar 2005;14(3):709-714.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: February 1, 2005
Molecular and traditional epidemiology studies have indicated a possible relationship between in utero environmental exposures and increased risk for childhood cancers, especially acute leukemias. Chromosomal aberrations have been associated with environmental exposures and cancer risk in adults. In order to more clearly define the association between prenatal exposures to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and […]
Citation: Bocskay KA, Tang D, Orjuela MA, Liu X, Warburton DP, Perera FP. Chromosomal aberrations in cord blood are associated with prenatal exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Feb 2005;14(2):506-511.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: N/A
Background: Elevated benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]-DNA adducts have been associated with 3-fold increased risk of lung cancer in current smokers. We assessed the chemopreventive effects of antioxidant supplementation using B(a)P-DNA adducts in leukocytes as an intermediate cancer risk marker. Methods: Subjects were randomized to a double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial of antioxidant vitamin supplementation [500 mg vitamin C […]
Citation: Mooney LA, Madsen AM, Tang D, et al. Antioxidant vitamin supplementation reduces benzo(a)pyrene-DNA adducts and potential cancer risk in female smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Jan 2005;14(1):237-242.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: October 1, 2004
Study objectives: Several studies have found associations between diesel exposure, respiratory symptoms, and/or impaired pulmonary function. We hypothesized that prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), important components of diesel exhaust and other combustion sources, may be associated with respiratory symptoms in young children. We also hypothesized that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) […]
Citation: Miller RL, Garfinkel R, Horton M, et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, environmental tobacco smoke, and respiratory symptoms in an inner-city birth cohort. Chest. Oct 2004;126(4):1071-1078.
Year Published: 2005, E-Published: September 11, 2004
Inner-city minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), benzo[a]pyrene B[a]P, other ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (global PAHs), and residential pesticides. The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) is conducting a prospective cohort study of 700 northern Manhattan […]
Citation: Perera FP, Rauh V, Whyatt RM, et al. A summary of recent findings on birth outcomes and developmental effects of prenatal ETS, PAH, and pesticide exposures. Neurotoxicology. Aug 2005;26(4):573-587
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: September 8, 2004
The effects of prenatal exposure to pollutants from the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on fetal growth and subsequent health and development of exposed children remain a source of concern. We assessed the impact of gestational timing of the disaster and distance from the WTC in the 4 weeks after 11 September on the birth […]
Citation: Lederman SA, Rauh V, Weiss L, et al. The effects of the World Trade Center event on birth outcomes among term deliveries at three lower Manhattan hospitals. Environ Health Perspect. Dec 2004;112(17):1772-1778.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: June 21, 2004
The purpose of this study was to estimate exposure of pregnant women in Poland to fine particulate matter [≤2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5)] and to assess its effect on the birth outcomes. The cohort consisted of 362 pregnant women who gave birth between 34 and 43 weeks of gestation. The enrollment included only nonsmoking women […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Bendkowska I, Flak E, et al. Estimated risk for altered fetal growth resulting from exposure to fine particles during pregnancy: an epidemiologic prospective cohort study in Poland. Environ Health Perspect. Oct 2004;112(14):1398-1402.
Pesticide Sales in Low-Income, Minority Neighborhoods.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: June 1, 2004
The US EPA has phased-out residential use of two organophosphate pesticides commonly used to control cockroaches-retail sales of chlorpyrifos were scheduled to end on 12/31/01, and diazinon on 12/31/02. In light of recent findings highlighting the associations between pests, pesticides and health, we surveyed stores in low-income, minority neighborhoods in New York City to determine […]
Citation: Carlton EJ, Moats HL, Feinberg M, et al. Pesticide Sales in Low-Income, Minority Neighborhoods. Journal of Community Health. 2004;29(3):231-244.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: May 1, 2004
As part of a multiyear birth-cohort study examining the roles of pre- and postnatal environmental exposures on developmental deficits and asthma among children, we measured personal exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among 348 pregnant women in northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, New York. Nonsmoking African-American or Dominican women were identified and recruited into […]
Citation: Tonne CC, Whyatt RM, Camann DE, Perera FP, Kinney PL. Predictors of personal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures among pregnant minority women in New York City. Environ Health Perspect. May 2004;112(6):754-759.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: April 1, 2004
Inner-city, minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in urban air. In a sample of nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women, we evaluated the effects on birth outcomes of […]
Citation: Perera FP, Rauh V, Whyatt RM, et al. Molecular evidence of an interaction between prenatal environmental exposures and birth outcomes in a multiethnic population. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2004;112(5):626-630.
Prenatal insecticide exposures and birth weight and length among an urban minority cohort.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: March 22, 2004
We reported previously that insecticide exposures were widespread among minority women in New York City during pregnancy and that levels of the organophosphate chlorpyrifos in umbilical cord plasma were inversely associated with birth weight and length. Here we expand analyses to include additional insecticides (the organophosphate diazinon and the carbamate propoxur), a larger sample size […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Rauh V, Barr DB, et al. Prenatal insecticide exposures and birth weight and length among an urban minority cohort. Environ Health Perspect. Jul 2004;112(10):1125-1132.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: March 22, 2004
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are widespread air contaminants released by transportation vehicles, power generation, and other combustion sources. Experimental evidence indicates that the developing fetus is more susceptible than the adult to carcinogenic effects of PAHs, although laboratory studies in rodents suggest that the dose to fetal tissues is an order […]
Citation: Perera FP, Tang D, Tu YH, et al. Biomarkers in maternal and newborn blood indicate heightened fetal susceptibility to procarcinogenic DNA damage. Environ Health Perspect. Jul 2004;112(10):1133-1136.
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: March 5, 2004
Because of the growing concern that exposures to airborne pollutants have adverse effects on fetal growth and early childhood neurodevelopment, and the knowledge that such exposures are more prevalent in disadvantaged populations, we assessed the joint impact of prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and material hardship on the 2-year cognitive development of inner-city […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Whyatt RM, Garfinkel R, et al. Developmental effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and material hardship among inner-city children. Neurotoxicol Teratol. May-Jun 2004;26(3):373-385.
Dose-Response Relationship between Maternal Involuntary Tobacco Smoking and Various Birth Outcomes
Year Published: 2004, E-Published: N/A
The main goal of this study was to assess the dose-response relationship between involuntary tobacco smoking of pregnant mothers and birth outcomes. The study covered a total of 285 healthy, non-smoking pregnant women aged 18-35 years and recruited from outpatient prenatal dispensaries being in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. The subjects were grouped […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Whyatt R, Perera F, et al. Dose-Response Relationship between Maternal Involuntary Tobacco Smoking and Various Birth Outcomes. Central European Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004;10(4):283-294.
Prenatal exposures to phthalates among women in New York City and Krakow, Poland.
Year Published: 2003, E-Published: November 1, 2003
Experimental evidence has shown that certain phthalates can disrupt endocrine function and induce reproductive and developmental toxicity. However, few data are available on the extent of human exposure to phthalates during pregnancy. As part of the research being conducted by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, we have measured levels of phthalates in 48-hr […]
Citation: Adibi JJ, Perera FP, Jedrychowski W, et al. Prenatal exposures to phthalates among women in New York City and Krakow, Poland. Environ Health Perspect. Nov 2003;111(14):1719-1722.
Distribution and determinants of mouse allergen exposure in low-income New York City apartments
Year Published: 2003, E-Published: August 1, 2003
Previous studies of mouse allergens and laboratory-animal-worker-related allergy and asthma suggest that quantifying mouse allergen levels in homes could augment our understanding of inner-city asthma. We hypothesized that levels of mouse allergen in inner-city homes would be related to certain household characteristics. Dust samples were collected from the kitchens and beds of 221 mothers enrolled […]
Citation: Chew GL, Perzanowski MS, Miller RL, et al. Distribution and determinants of mouse allergen exposure in low-income New York City apartments. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2003;111(10):1348-1351.
Year Published: 2003, E-Published: May 1, 2003
We have measured 29 pesticides in plasma samples collected at birth between 1998 and 2001 from 230 mother and newborn pairs enrolled in the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health prospective cohort study. Our prior research has shown widespread pesticide use during pregnancy among this urban minority cohort from New York City. We also measured […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Barr DB, Camann DE, et al. Contemporary-use pesticides in personal air samples during pregnancy and blood samples at delivery among urban minority mothers and newborns. Environ Health Perspect. May 2003;111(5):749-756.
Year Published: 2003, E-Published: January 1, 2003
Preliminary data suggest an association between infant mortality rates and several measures of ambient air pollution, including dustfall and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The effects of airborne PAH components on fetal growth and early childhood development are of primary interest since we have previously demonstrated that these pollutants were associated with significant decrements in birthweight, […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W, Whyatt RM, Camann DE, et al. Effect of prenatal PAH exposure on birth outcomes and neurocognitive development in a cohort of newborns in Poland. Study design and preliminary ambient data. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2003;16(1):21-29.
Year Published: 2003, E-Published: February 1, 2003
Inner-city, minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides. In a sample of 263 nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women, we evaluated the effects on birth outcomes of prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs […]
Citation: Perera FP, Rauh V, Tsai WY, et al. Effects of transplacental exposure to environmental pollutants on birth outcomes in a multiethnic population. Environ Health Perspect. Feb 2003;111(2):201-205.
Risk for asthma in 1-year-old infants residing in New York City high-risk neighborhoods.
Year Published: 2003, E-Published: N/A
Citation: Meyer IH, Whyatt RM, Perera FP, Ford JG. Risk for asthma in 1-year-old infants residing in New York City high-risk neighborhoods. J Asthma. 2003;40(5):545-550.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: November 23, 2002
We have developed a sensitive and accurate analytical method for quantifying 29 contemporary pesticides in human serum or plasma. These pesticides include organophosphates, carbamates, chloroacetanilides, and synthetic pyrethroids among others and include pesticides used in agricultural and residential settings. Our method employs a simple solid-phase extraction followed by a highly selective analysis using isotope dilution […]
Citation: Barr DB, Barr JR, Maggio VL, et al. A multi-analyte method for the quantification of contemporary pesticides in human serum and plasma using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography B. 2002;778(1-2):99-111.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: October 1, 2002
Transplacental exposure to carcinogenic air pollutants from the combustion of fossil fuels is a growing health concern, given evidence of the heightened susceptibility of the fetus. These mutagenic/carcinogenic pollutants include aromatic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that bind to DNA, forming chemical-DNA adducts. We have investigated the genotoxic effects of transplacental exposure in humans […]
Citation: Perera F, Hemminki K, Jedrychowski W, et al. In utero DNA damage from environmental pollution is associated with somatic gene mutation in newborns. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Oct 2002;11(10 Pt 1):1134-1137.
Exposures to multiple air toxics in New York City
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: August 1, 2002
Efforts to assess health risks associated with exposures to multiple urban air toxics have been hampered by the lack of exposure data for people living in urban areas. The TEACH (Toxic Exposure Assessment, a Columbia/Harvard) study was designed to characterize levels of and factors influencing personal exposures to urban air toxics among high school students […]
Citation: Kinney PL, Chillrud SN, Ramstrom S, Ross J, Spengler JD. Exposures to multiple air toxics in New York City. Environ Health Perspect. Aug 2002;110 Suppl 4:539-546.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: May 16, 2002
Minority groups with diverse racial and ethnic heritages and persons living in poverty are much more likely to die of asthma and to require emergency care for exacerbations of asthma than white persons not living in poverty. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a multidisciplinary group of expert scientists and clinicians to review […]
Citation: Strunk RC, Ford JG, Taggart V. Reducing disparities in asthma care: Priorities for research-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop Report. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2002;109(2):229-237.
Residential pesticide use during pregnancy among a cohort of urban minority women
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: May 1, 2002
Residential pesticide use is widespread in the United States. However, data are limited specific to use among minority populations. Nor are data available on the extent of pesticide exposure resulting from residential use during pregnancy. We have gathered questionnaire data on pesticide use in the home during pregnancy from 316 African-American and Dominican women residing […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Camann DE, Kinney PL, et al. Residential pesticide use during pregnancy among a cohort of urban minority women. Environ Health Perspect. May 2002;110(5):507-514.
Deteriorated housing contributes to high cockroach allergen levels in inner-city households
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: April 1, 2002
The high prevalence of childhood asthma in low-income, inner-city populations is not fully understood but has been at least partly attributed to the disproportionate exposures associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. The contribution of indoor allergens to asthma is well documented, but links between socioeconomic disadvantage and indoor allergen levels are not clear. We investigated levels of […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Chew GR, Garfinkel RS. Deteriorated housing contributes to high cockroach allergen levels in inner-city households. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2002;110 Suppl 2:323-327.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: April 1, 2002
We examined the relevance of five strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to environmental hazards for African-American and Hispanic children living in Northern Manhattan in New York City. Researchers conducting a community-wide intervention to increase awareness of environmental health hazards identified five strategies for keeping children healthy, preventing asthma, and promoting children’s growth and […]
Citation: Green L, Fullilove M, Evans D, Shepard P. "Hey, mom, thanks!": use of focus groups in the development of place-specific materials for a community environmental action campaign. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2002;110 Suppl 2:265-269.
Awareness of environmental risks and protective actions among minority women in Northern Manhattan
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: April 1, 2002
We report findings of a survey of 555 women 18-35 years of age living in Northern Manhattan in New York City. The survey was conducted by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) to learn what community women knew about environmental risks to health and what they did to protect themselves and their families, […]
Citation: Evans DT, Fullilove MT, Green L, Levison M. Awareness of environmental risks and protective actions among minority women in Northern Manhattan. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2002;110 Suppl 2:271-275.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: N/A
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are widespread pollutants produced by incomplete combustion. The city of Krakow in Poland is an industrialized area with high concentrations of PAH in the ambient air. As part of a prospective cohort study being conducted among pregnant women from Krakow, we have measured PAH levels in personal, indoor and outdoor air […]
Citation: Peki K, Whyatt R, Jedrychowski W, et al. Personal, indoor and outdoor monitoring of exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among a cohort of pregnant women from Krakow, Poland. Paper presented at: Indoor Air 2002.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: February 1, 2002
Rates of developmental and respiratory diseases are disproportionately high in underserved, minority populations such as those in New York City’s Washington Heights, Harlem, and the South Bronx. Blacks and Latinos in these neighborhoods represent high risk groups for asthma, adverse birth outcomes, impaired development, and some types of cancer. The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental […]
Citation: Perera FP, Illman SM, Kinney PL, et al. The challenge of preventing environmentally related disease in young children: community-based research in New York City. Environ Health Perspect. Feb 2002;110(2):197-204.
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: N/A
Residential pesticide use is widespread in the U.S. However, little is known about pesticide exposures among minority women during pregnancy. We have measured levels of 9 contemporary-use pesticides in 48-hour personal air samples collected during the 3rd trimester and blood samples (maternal and umbilical cord) collected at delivery from 194 African American and Dominican mothers […]
Citation: Whyatt R, Camann B, Barr D, et al. Pesticide levels in 48-hour personal air samples during pregnancy and in blood samples at delivery from urban minority mothers and newborns Paper presented at: Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002.
On the front lines: an environmental asthma intervention in New York City
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: January 1, 2002
Asthma is now the leading cause of school absence among children of color in impoverished urban neighborhoods. Environmental interventions have the potential to augment clinical approaches to asthma management by directly reducing exposure to environmental triggers (e.g., cockroaches, rodents, and mold). We implemented an apartment-based intervention to reduce exposures to indoor allergens among children living […]
Citation: Kinney PL, Northridge ME, Chew GL, et al. On the front lines: an environmental asthma intervention in New York City. Am J Public Health. Jan 2002;92(1):24-26.
Phthalate diester levels in personal air samples during pregnancy in two urban populations
Year Published: 2002, E-Published: N/A
There is growing concern over the widespread exposures to phthalates detected in the U.S. population. Phthalates have been shown to be hepatic, reproductive and developmental toxicants. Certain phthalates are elevated in women of reproductive age, resulting in implications for the health of the developing fetus. In the current study, we assess the presence of phthalates […]
Citation: Adibi J, Whyatt R, Camann D, Peki K, Jedrychowski W, Perera F. Phthalate diester levels in personal air samples during pregnancy in two urban populations Paper presented at: Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002.
The contribution of maternal age to racial disparities in birthweight: a multilevel perspective
Year Published: 2001, E-Published: November 1, 2001
Objectives. This study assessed the contribution of age and other risk factors to racial disparities in rates of moderately low birthweight (MLBW; 1500–2499 g) and very low birthweight (VLBW; <1500 g). Methods. Logistic regression models were developed to determine the effects on MLBW and VLBW of maternal age, race, and poverty, adjusting for birth order, […]
Citation: Rauh VA, Andrews HF, Garfinkel RS. The contribution of maternal age to racial disparities in birthweight: a multilevel perspective. Am J Public Health. Nov 2001;91(11):1815-1824.
Year Published: 2001, E-Published: September 1, 2001
Primary sensitization to antigens may occur prenatally. We hypothesized that high prenatal exposure to indoor antigens increases the risk for sensitization in newborns in New York City populations with increased risk for asthma. We also investigated whether maternal sensitization is required for in utero sensitization to occur. One hundred sixty-seven pregnant African American or Dominican […]
Citation: Miller RL, Chew GL, Bell CA, et al. Prenatal exposure, maternal sensitization, and sensitization in utero to indoor allergens in an inner-city cohort. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Sep 15 2001;164(6):995-1001.
Year Published: 2001, E-Published: June 1, 2001
Human and experimental evidence indicates that the developing fetus may be more susceptible than the adult to the effects of certain carcinogens, including some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Factors that can modulate susceptibility include proliferation rates, detoxification capabilities, and DNA repair capacity. Biomarkers can facilitate quantification of age-related susceptibility among human populations. In this study, […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Jedrychowski W, Hemminki K, et al. Biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA damage and cigarette smoke exposures in paired maternal and newborn blood samples as a measure of differential susceptibility. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Jun 2001;10(6):581-588.
Year Published: 2001, E-Published: March 29, 2001
Experimental data have linked exposure to prenatal organophosphates to adverse neurocognitive sequalae. However, epidemiologic research has been hampered by lack of reliable dosimeters. Existing biomarkers reflect short-term exposure only. Measurements of pesticides in postpartum meconium may yield a longer-term dosimeter of prenatal exposure. As the initial step in biomarker validation, this research determined background levels, […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Barr DB. Measurement of organophosphate metabolites in postpartum meconium as a potential biomarker of prenatal exposure: a validation study. Environ Health Perspect. Apr 2001;109(4):417-420.
Molecular epidemiology: on the path to prevention?
Year Published: 2000, E-Published: April 19, 2000
Cancer prevention has been the stated goal of molecular cancer epidemiology for the past 17 years. In this review, progress toward that goal is evaluated by using as examples well-studied environmental exposures-i.e., tobacco smoke, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aflatoxin B(1), benzene, and hepatitis B virus-and their roles in lung, breast, and liver cancers and leukemia. The […]
Citation: Perera FP. Molecular epidemiology: on the path to prevention? J Natl Cancer Inst. Apr 2000;92(8):602-612.
Molecular epidemiology: recent advances and future directions
Year Published: 2000, E-Published: March 1, 2000
In 1982 we proposed the concept and a framework for implementing molecular cancer epidemiology. Here, we review progress during the past 17 years in validating and applying this approach to cancer prevention. There have been major advances, notably in the understanding of environment-susceptibility interactions in human cancer. However, a review of major findings to date […]
Citation: Perera FP, Weinstein IB. Molecular epidemiology: recent advances and future directions. Carcinogenesis. Mar 2000;21(3):517-524.
Environmental respiratory health in central and eastern Europe
Year Published: 2000, E-Published: February 1, 2000
The main objective of the paper was to discuss the environmental issues in the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEE) and to show their significance for respiratory health. Many epidemiologic studies carried out in the region have documented an association between air pollution and adverse health effects in the respiratory tract. Short-term exposure to […]
Citation: Jedrychowski W. Environmental respiratory health in central and eastern Europe. Cent Eur J Public Health. Feb 2000;8(1):33-39.
Year Published: 2000, E-Published: February 1, 2000
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants; a number are carcinogenic. Metabolic polymorphisms may modulate susceptibility to PAH-induced DNA damage and carcinogenesis. This study investigates the relationship between PAH-DNA adduct levels (in maternal and newborn WBCs) and two polymorphisms: (a) an MspI RFLP in the 3′ noncoding region of cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1); and (b) […]
Citation: Whyatt RM, Perera FP, Jedrychowski W, Santella RM, Garte S, Bell DA. Association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adduct levels in maternal and newborn white blood cells and glutathione S-transferase P1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Feb 2000;9(2):207-212.
Molecular epidemiologic research on the effects of environmental pollutants on the fetus.
Year Published: 1999, E-Published: June 1, 1999
Evidence shows that fetuses and infants are more affected than adults by a variety of environmental toxicants because of differential exposure, physiologic immaturity, and a longer lifetime over which disease initiated in early life can develop. In this article we review data on the effects of in utero exposure to common environmental contaminants, including polycyclic […]
Citation: Perera FP, Jedrychowski W, Rauh V, Whyatt RM. Molecular epidemiologic research on the effects of environmental pollutants on the fetus. Environ Health Perspect. Jun 1999;107 Suppl 3:451-460.
Year Published: 1998, E-Published: February 1, 1998
The authors briefly review the current potential and limitations of molecular epidemiology. This approach uses biomarkers to measure the internal and bioeffective dose of toxicants, early biologic effects likely to be predictive of cancer, and variations in individual susceptibility. The most frequent application of biomarkers has been in assessment of exposure/dose and susceptibility due to […]
Citation: Perera FP, Whyatt RM, Jedrychowski W, et al. Recent developments in molecular epidemiology: A study of the effects of environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on birth outcomes in Poland. Am J Epidemiol. Feb 1998;147(3):309-314.