Children and teens exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution have evidence of a specific type of DNA damage called telomere shortening. Reports show that a recent study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine claims young people with asthma also have evidence of telomere shortening. "Our results suggest that telomere length may have potential for use as a biomarker of DNA damage due to environmental exposures and/or chronic inflammation," claims reports by John R. Balmes, MD, of University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues. The study took place in Fesno, California and examined fourteen kids. The study adds to previous evidence that air pollution causes oxidative stress, which can damage lipids, proteins, and DNA. Research has suggested that children may have different telomere shortening regulation than adults, which might make them more vulnerable to the damaging effects of air pollution. With further research, telomeres could provide a new biomarker to reflect the cellular-level effects of exposure to air pollution. Telomeres might also provide new insights into the understanding how pollution exposure leads to adverse health outcomes.
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March 2017
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