Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Lung Function in Children with Asthma: A Mediation Analysis

Giovanna Cilluffo, Giuliana Ferrante, Nicola Murgia, Rosanna Mancini, Simona Pichini, Giuseppe Cuffari, Vittoria Giudice, Nicolò Tirone, Velia Malizia, Laura Montalbano, Salvatore Fasola, Roberta Pacifici, Giovanni Viegi and Stefania La Grutta
Additional contact information
Giovanna Cilluffo: National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Giuliana Ferrante: Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Nicola Murgia: Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Rosanna Mancini: National Center on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
Simona Pichini: National Center on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Cuffari: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Sicily, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Vittoria Giudice: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Sicily, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Nicolò Tirone: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Sicily, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Velia Malizia: National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Laura Montalbano: National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Salvatore Fasola: National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Roberta Pacifici: National Center on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giovanni Viegi: National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Stefania La Grutta: National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Studies investigating the association between urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and asthma in children provided inhomogeneous results. We aimed to use Mediation Analysis to discover whether a link between urinary PAHs and lung function exists and if it might be ascribed to a direct or a symptom-mediated (indirect) effect in children with asthma. This single-center prospective study was conducted in Palermo, Italy, between March and July 2017 and involved 50 children with persistent mild-moderate asthma, aged 6–11 years. At each time visit (day 0, 30, 60, and 90), physical examination, spirometry, and urine collection for detection of urinary cotinine and PAHs were performed. A symptom score was computed. The sum of individually calculated molar mass of nine PAH metabolites (ΣPAH), naphthalene metabolites (ΣPAHn) and phenanthrene metabolites (ΣPAHp) were calculated. Three children withdrew from the study due to technical problems ( n = 1) and adverse events ( n = 2). PAHs indirect effects on FEV 1 (ΣPAH: −0.011, p = 0.04; ΣPAH n : −0.011, p = 0.04; ΣPAH p : −0.012, p < 0.001) and FVC (ΣPAH: −0.012, p = 0.02; ΣPAH n : −0.0126, p = 0.02; ΣPAH p : −0.013, p < 0.001) were statistically significant. In conclusion, PAHs exposures have significant indirect (symptom-mediated) effects on lung function, emphasizing the role of PAHs-induced respiratory morbidity in decreasing lung function in children with asthma.

Keywords: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; lung function; children; asthma; mediation analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/3/1826/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/3/1826/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1826-:d:742929

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().