Coupling a human cohort (SEPAGES) and a toxicological experiment to decipher the relations between the Exposome, omics markers and child health
Résumé
Characterization of the Exposome and its effects on children health is warranted. Consistency between human observations and results of toxicological experiments strengths the evidence in environmental health research, but is difficult to identify when epidemiological and toxicological studies are conducted independently. We present an original approach com-bining a cohort with intense exposure monitoring conducted in parallel with an animal experi-ment focused on air pollution effects. Pregnant women are being included in a monocentric couplechild cohort before 18 gestational weeks. Exposure to air pollutants (including NO2, benzene, PM2.5, soot) is assessed every 3 to 6 months by personal monitors in mothers and children. A large biobank is constituted including DNA, RNA for transcriptome assessment, serum, plasma, placenta, repeated pooled urine samples, meconium, child stools, milk and hair. The main health out-comes are respiratory health, fetal and child growth and neurodevelopment. In parallel, pre-gnant rabbits were exposed to diluted filtered diesel exhaust, fetoplacental units were col-lected and offspring growth was monitored. To date the cohort includes 260 trios. Maternal median personal exposure is 19.1 µg/m3 (25th75th centiles, 14.124.5) for NO2 and 1.2 µg/m3 (0.72.2) for benzene. The rabbit experiment showed transplacental transfer of diesel exhaust nanoparticles and demonstrated effects on placental vascularization and blood flow. Replication will be sought using placenta collected in the cohort. Our cohort constitutes an approach allowing accurate characterization of ear-lylife exposures to air pollutants. Close collaboration between toxicological and epidemiolo-gical studies is a promising approach that enables crosstalk between both disciplines and ultimately could provide deeper understanding of the interplay between the Exposome, ‘omics markers and child health.