Clinical Research Directory

Urban Exposome and Biological Age

Sponsor: University of Pavia

Summary

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the impact of the urban exposome, including air pollution and lifestyle-related stressors, on biological aging, inflammatory pathways, oxidative stress, and DNA methylation patterns in healthy workers exposed to urban air pollution in the city of Pavia, Italy. The study population included 151 adult workers, divided into two groups: outdoor workers (including police officers, taxi drivers, and dustmen) and an indoor control group composed of office workers from the University of Pavia and ICS Maugeri hospital with minimal outdoor exposure. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does chronic exposure to urban air pollutants such as NO2, SO2, O3, benzene, volatile organic compounds, and PM2.5 influence inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers, and biological aging? * Is exposure to urban pollution associated with changes in DNA methylation patterns and epigenetic age acceleration? * How do lifestyle factors, nutritional status, sleep quality, physical activity, smoking habits, and perceived quality of life interact with the urban exposome and biological outcomes? Researchers will compare outdoor workers with indoor workers to evaluate differences in environmental exposure, inflammatory biomarkers, oxidative stress, DNA methylation profiles, and estimated biological age. Participants will: * Undergo clinical assessments, with interviews regarding occupational history. * Undergo anthropometric and nutritional evaluations, including body composition analysis and blood chemistry tests; answer questionnaires about physical activity, smoking habits, sleep quality, and perceived quality of life; undergo interviews about dietary habits. * Wear passive personal air samplers for approximately 5 working days to measure exposure to urban air pollutants. * Provide blood samples for analysis of inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers, thyroid-related biomarkers, and epigenetic modifications. * Undergo DNA methylation analyses using epigenetic techniques to estimate biological age and evaluate associations between pollutant exposure and epigenetic changes. * Receive feedback regarding their environmental exposure and general health and nutritional status. This interdisciplinary observational study adopts an exposome-based approach integrating environmental monitoring, occupational medicine, nutrition, and epigenetics to better understand the relationship between urban environmental exposure and human health.

Official title: Impatto Dell'Ambiente Urbano Sull'età Biologica: Effetto Della qualità Dell'Aria e Dello Stress Lavorativo a Pavia su Citochine Infiammatorie e Profilo di Metilazione Del DNA

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