Pre-pregnancy ozone and ultrafine particulate matter exposure during second year of life associated with decreased cognitive and adaptive functioning at aged 2-5 years.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to investigate the association of prenatal and early life exposure to a mixture of air pollutants on cognitive and adaptive outcomes separately in children with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Utilizing data from the CHARGE case-control study (birth years: 2000-2016), we predicted daily air concentrations of NO2, O3, and particulate matter <0.1 µm (PM0.1), between 0.1 and 2.5 µm (PM0.1-2.5), and between 2.5 and 10 µm (PM2.5-10) using chemical transport models with ground-based monitor adjustments. Exposures were evaluated for pre-pregnancy, each trimester, and the first two years of life. Individual and combined effects of pollutants were assessed with Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) and Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), separately for children with ASD (n = 660) and children without ASD (typically developing (TD) and developmentally delayed (DD) combined; n = 753) using hierarchical Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) models with three groups: PM size fractions (PM0.1, PM0.1-2.5, PM2.5-10), NO2, and O3. RESULTS: Pre-pregnancy Ozone was strongly negatively associated with all scores in the non-ASD group (group posterior inclusion probability (gPIP) = 0.83-1.00). The PM group during year 2 was also strongly negatively associated with all scores in the non-ASD group (gPIP = 0.59-0.93), with PM0.1 driving the group association (conditional PIP (cPIP) = 0.73-0.96). Weaker and less consistent associations were observed between PM0.1-2.5 during pre-pregnancy and ozone during year 1 and VABS scores in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings prompt further investigation into ozone and ultrafine PM as potential environmental risk factors for neurodevelopment.

Ultrafine particulate matter exposure during second year of life, but not before, associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder in BKMR mixtures model of multiple air pollutants.

Prenatal and early postnatal air pollution exposures have been shown to be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk but results regarding specific air pollutants and exposure timing are mixed and no study has investigated the effects of combined exposure to multiple air pollutants using a mixtures approach. We aimed to evaluate prenatal and early life multipollutant mixtures for the drivers of associations of air pollution with ASD. This study examined 484 typically developing (TD) and 660 ASD children from the CHARGE case-control study. Daily air concentrations for NO2, O3, ultrafine (PM0.1), fine (PM0.1-2.5), and coarse (PM2.5-10) particles were predicted from chemical transport models with statistical bias adjustment based on ground-based monitors. Daily averages were calculated for each exposure period (pre-pregnancy, each trimester of pregnancy, first and second year of life) between 2000 and 2016. Air pollution variables were natural log-transformed and then standardized. Individual and joint effects of pollutant exposure with ASD, and potential interactions, were evaluated for each period using hierarchical Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) models, with three groups: PM size fractions (PM0.1, PM0.1-2.5, PM2.5-10), NO2, and O3. In BKMR models, the PM group was associated with ASD in year 2 (group posterior inclusion probability (gPIP) = 0.75), and marginally associated in year 1 (gPIP = 0.497). PM2.5-10 appeared to drive the association (conditional PIP (cPIP) = 0.64) in year 1, while PM0.1 appeared to drive the association in year 2 (cPIP = 0.76), with both showing a moderately strong increased risk. Pre-pregnancy O3 showed a slight J-shaped risk of ASD (gPIP = 0.55). No associations were observed for exposures during pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy O3 and year 2 p.m.0.1 exposures appear to be associated with an increased risk of ASD. Future research should examine ultrafine particulate matter in relation to ASD.

Maternal androgens and autism spectrum disorder in the MARBLES prospective cohort study.

Background: Maternal hormonal risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring could intersect genetic and environmental risk factors. Objectives: This analysis explored ASD risk in association with maternal testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) measured in first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. Methods: MARBLES is a prospective pregnancy cohort study based at the MIND Institute in Northern California that enrolls mothers who have at least one child previously diagnosed with ASD and are expecting, or planning to have another child. At 36 months the younger sibling is clinically classified as having ASD, or as non-typically developing (Non-TD), or typically developing (TD). Maternal androgens during pregnancy were measured in serum samples from 196 mothers. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated risk of ASD and Non-TD in offspring compared to TD, in relation to the log-transformed maternal androgen concentrations, at each trimester. Results: Non-significant associations were observed, and borderline significant associations were only observed in some stratified unadjusted models. Second trimester maternal testosterone was non-significantly associated with ASD in female offspring, although not after adjustment, aRR 1.54 (95% CI 0.71, 3.33), and second trimester maternal DHEA was non-significantly associated with non-TD in male offspring, again not after adjustment, aRR 0.50 (95% CI 0.21, 1.21). Secondary analysis suggested that third trimester androgen concentrations in mothers with male offspring had significant or near significant associations with their child's Social Responsiveness Scale score. Conclusion: No significant associations were found between maternal androgen concentrations and risk of ASD or Non-TD in the child.

The Effect of Meteorological, Pollution, and Geographic Exposures on Death by Suicide: A Scoping Review.

Suicide is a significant public health concern worldwide and in the United States. Despite the far-reaching impact of suicide, risk factors are still not well understood and efforts to accurately assess risk have fallen short. Current research has highlighted how potentially modifiable environmental exposures (i.e., meteorological, pollution, and geographic exposures) can affect suicide risk. A scoping review was conducted to evaluate the strength of the historical and current literature on the environment's effect on suicide and suicide risk. Three databases (i.e., Medline, Embase, and PsychInfo) were reviewed to identify relevant studies and two authors independently reviewed studies considering pre-determined inclusion criteria. A total of 46 meteorological studies were included as well as 23 pollution studies and 12 geographic studies. Descriptive statistics, including counts, percentages, review of studies' sample size (minimum, maximum, median, and interquartile range), were calculated using Excel and SAS 9.4. Overall, strong evidence supports that exposure to sunlight, temperature, air pollution, pesticides, and high altitude increases suicide risk, although effect sizes range from very small to small.

Joint effects of prenatal air pollutant exposure and maternal folic acid supplementation on risk of autism spectrum disorder.

Independent studies report that periconceptional folic acid (FA) may decrease the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) while exposure to air pollution may increase ASD risk. We examined the joint effects of gestational FA and air pollution exposures in association with ASD. We studied 346 ASD cases and 260 typically developing controls from the CHARGE case-control study. Self-reported FA intake for each month of pregnancy was quantified. Estimates of exposure to near roadway air pollution (NRP) and criteria air pollutant measures were assigned based on maternal residential history. Among mothers with high FA intake (>800 µg) in the first pregnancy month, exposure to increasing levels of all air pollutants, except ozone, during the first trimester was associated with decreased ASD risk, while increased ASD risk was observed for the same pollutant among mothers with low FA intake (≤800 µg). This difference was statistically significant for NO2 (e.g., NO2 and low FA intake: OR = 1.53 (0.91, 2.56) vs NO2 and high FA intake: OR = 0.74 (0.46, 1.19), P-interaction = 0.04). Mothers exposed to higher levels (≥ median) of any air pollutant during the first trimester of pregnancy and who reported low FA intake were at a higher ASD risk compared to mothers exposed to lower levels of that air pollutant and who reported high first month FA intake. Joint effects showed significant (alpha < 0.10) departures from expected interaction for NRP and NO2 . Our results suggest that periconceptional FA intake may reduce ASD risk in those with high prenatal air pollution exposure. Further study is needed to replicate these findings in larger sample sizes and to understand mechanisms of this potential relationship.. Autism Res 2018, 11: 69-80. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: We examined interactions between periconceptional folic acid (FA) and air pollution exposure on risk of ASD. Mothers exposed to higher levels of air pollution during the first trimester of pregnancy and who reported low supplemental FA intake during the first pregnancy month were at a higher ASD risk compared to mothers exposed to lower levels of air pollution and who reported high first month FA intake. Our results suggest that periconceptional FA intake may reduce ASD risk in those with high prenatal air pollution exposure.

Pandemic serotypes of Vibrio cholerae isolated from ships' ballast tanks and coastal waters: assessment of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes (tcpA and ctxA).

There is concern that ships' ballasting operations may disseminate Vibrio cholerae to ports throughout the world. Given evidence that the bacterium is indeed transported by ships, we isolated pandemic serotypes O1 and O139 from ballast tanks and characterized them with respect to antibiotic resistance and virulence genes ctxA and tcpA. We carried out concurrent studies with V. cholerae isolated from coastal waters. Of 284 isolates, 30 were serotype O1 and 59 were serotype O139. These serotypes were overrepresented in ballast tanks relative to the coastal waters sampled. All locations, whether coastal waters or ballast tanks, yielded samples from which serotype O1, O139, or both were isolated. There were three groups among the 62 isolates for which antibiotic characterization was conclusive: those exhibiting ß-lactamase activity and resistance to at least one of the 12 antibiotics tested; those negative for ß-lactamase but having antibiotic resistance; those negative for ß-lactamase and registering no antibiotic resistance. When present, antibiotic resistance in nearly all cases was to ampicillin; resistance to multiple antibiotics was uncommon. PCR assays revealed that none of the isolates contained the ctxA gene and only two isolates, one O139 and one O1, contained the tcpA gene; both isolates originated from ballast water. These results support the bacteriological regulations proposed by the International Maritime Association for discharged ballast water.