A cohort study of the multipollutant effects of PM2.5, NO2, and O3 on C-reactive protein levels during pregnancy.

Gogna Priyankaa, Borghese Michael M, Villeneuve Paul J, Kumarathasan Premkumari, Johnson Markey, Shutt Robin H, Ashley-Martin Jillian, Bouchard Maryse F, King Will D. Environmental Epidemiology 2024 May 6;8(3):e308. doi: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000308. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Question: Is there an association between maternal exposure to the air pollutants – fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) – and maternal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels?

What did the researchers do:
Exposure to air pollution was estimated for each participant in MIREC based on their residential location during pregnancy. CRP was measured in third-trimester blood samples. The researchers used statistical models to examine associations between air pollutants and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the body.

What did they find:
The researchers found that increases in the 14-day average PM2.5 levels were associated with a 27% increase in CRP, after adjusting for levels of NO2, O3, and amount of green space around the residence. They also looked at the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), a risk communication tool providing information on air quality to Canadians, and found higher AQHI levels were associated with 38% higher CRP.

What does this mean:
Previous studies have shown that air pollution exposure may cause increased inflammation. The results of this study show that exposure to air pollution is associated with a marker of inflammation among pregnant people in Canada. Increased inflammation could be a potential intermediate mechanism for the association between outdoor air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

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