Epigenetic alteration in response to particulate matter exposures: A review on DNA methylation
Abstract
Globally, air pollution is responsible for over 7 million premature deaths annually and accounts for more than 3% of disability-adjusted life years lost. The harmful effects of air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM), are far-reaching, significantly contributing to the prevalence and progression of coronary artery disease, respiratory illnesses, and lung disorders. Although the adverse health consequences of PM are well-documented, the precise biological mechanisms driving these outcomes remain incompletely understood. In recent years, the field of epigenetics has shed light on PM-induced epigenetic changes, with a focus on DNA methylation, providing a promising framework for exploring these mechanisms. A growing body of evidence highlights the strong association between PM exposure and alterations in DNA methylation patterns across the genome, suggesting that these modifications play a pivotal role in mediating the biological and health effects of PM exposure. This comprehensive review explores the intricate relationship between DNA methylation and PM exposure. Representative epidemiological and experimental studies emphasize the connections between PM-induced methylation alterations and the indirect impact of DNA methylation on health. By providing valuable insights into gene-specific alterations, the review contributes to a deeper understanding of the potential implications of PM exposure on DNA methylation and its broader health consequences.
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5. Luger K, Mä Der AW, Richmond RK, Sargent DF, Richmond TJ. Crystal structure of the nucleosome core particle at 2.8 A ˚ resolution. Vol. 389, Nature © Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1997.
6. Chaturvedi P, Tyagi SC. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying cardiac degeneration and regeneration. Int J Cardiol. 2014;173(1):1–11.
7. Yao Q, Chen Y, Zhou X. The roles of microRNAs in epigenetic regulation. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2019;51:11–7.
8. Arif KMT, Elliott EK, Haupt LM, Griffiths LR. Regulatory mechanisms of epigenetic miRNA relationships in human cancer and potential as therapeutic targets. Cancers (Basel). 2020;12(10):2922.
9. Saito Y, Saito H, Liang G, Friedman JM. Epigenetic alterations and microRNA misexpression in cancer and autoimmune diseases: a critical review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2014;47:128–35.
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11. Patil V, Ward RL, Hesson LB. The evidence for functional non-CpG methylation in mammalian cells. Epigenetics. 2014;9(6):823–8.
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14. Ambrosi C, Manzo M, Baubec T. Dynamics and context-dependent roles of DNA methylation. J Mol Biol. 2017;429(10):1459–75.
15. Ghazi T, Arumugam T, Foolchand A, Chuturgoon AA. The impact of natural dietary compounds and food-borne mycotoxins on DNA methylation and cancer. Cells. 2020;9(9):2004.
16. Mukherjee S, Dasgupta S, Mishra PK, Chaudhury K. Air pollution-induced epigenetic changes: Disease development and a possible link with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021;28(40):55981–6002.
17. Sharma R, Kurmi OP, Hariprasad P, Tyagi SK. Health implications due to exposure to fine and ultra-fine particulate matters: a short review. International Journal of Ambient Energy. 2024;45(1):2314256.
18. Morawska L, Agranovski V, Moore M. State of Epidemiological Evidence for the Health Impacts of Ultrafine Particles. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA) World Congress 2007. Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand; 2007. p. 1–7.
19. Risom L, Møller P, Loft S. Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage by particulate air pollution. Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis. 2005;592(1–2):119–37.
20. Valacchi G, Magnani N, Woodby B, Ferreira SM, Evelson P. Particulate matter induces tissue oxinflammation: from mechanism to damage. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2020;33(4):308–26.
21. Zhuang C, Wu Z, Xing C, Miao Z. Small molecules inhibiting Keap1–Nrf2 protein–protein interactions: a novel approach to activate Nrf2 function. Medchemcomm. 2017;8(2):286–94.
22. Prunicki M, Cauwenberghs N, Lee J, Zhou X, Movassagh H, Noth E, et al. Air pollution exposure is linked with methylation of immunoregulatory genes, altered immune cell profiles, and increased blood pressure in children. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):4067.
23. Jin J, Zhong X bo. Epigenetic Mechanisms Contribute to Intraindividual Variations of Drug Metabolism Mediated by Cytochrome P450 Enzymes. Drug Metabolism and Disposition. 2023;51(6):672–84.
24. Yang Y, Yang T, Zhou J, Cao Z, Liao Z, Zhao Y, et al. Prenatal exposure to concentrated ambient PM2. 5 results in spatial memory defects regulated by DNA methylation in male mice offspring. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2023;30(12):35142–52.
25. Tantoh DM, Wu MC, Chuang CC, Chen PH, Tyan YS, Nfor ON, et al. AHRR cg05575921 methylation in relation to smoking and PM 2.5 exposure among Taiwanese men and women. Clin Epigenetics. 2020;12:1–9.
26. Su CL, Tantoh DM, Chou YH, Wang L, Ho CC, Chen PH, et al. Blood-based SOX2-promoter methylation in relation to exercise and PM2. 5 exposure among Taiwanese adults. Cancers (Basel). 2020;12(2):504.
27. Liang Y, Hu L, Li J, Liu F, Jones KC, Li D, et al. Short-term personal PM2. 5 exposure and change in DNA methylation of imprinted genes: panel study of healthy young adults in Guangzhou city, China. Environmental Pollution. 2021;275:116601.
28. Shi W, Gao X, Cao Y, Chen Y, Cui Q, Deng F, et al. Personal airborne chemical exposure and epigenetic ageing biomarkers in healthy Chinese elderly individuals: evidence from mixture approaches. Environ Int. 2022;170:107614.
29. Rossnerova A, Tulupova E, Tabashidze N, Schmuczerova J, Dostal M, Rossner Jr P, et al. Factors affecting the 27K DNA methylation pattern in asthmatic and healthy children from locations with various environments. Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis. 2013;741:18–26.
30. Salam MT, Byun HM, Lurmann F, Breton C V, Wang X, Eckel SP, et al. Genetic and epigenetic variations in inducible nitric oxide synthase promoter, particulate pollution, and exhaled nitric oxide levels in children. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2012;129(1):232–9.
31. Cantone L, Tobaldini E, Favero C, Albetti B, Sacco RM, Torgano G, et al. Particulate air pollution, clock gene methylation, and stroke: effects on stroke severity and disability. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(9):3090.
32. Wang C, O’Brien KM, Xu Z, Sandler DP, Taylor JA, Weinberg CR. Long-term ambient fine particulate matter and DNA methylation in inflammation pathways: results from the Sister Study. Epigenetics. 2020;15(5):524–35.
33. Wang C, Plusquin M, Ghantous A, Herceg Z, Alfano R, Cox B, et al. DNA methylation of insulin-like growth factor 2 and H19 cluster in cord blood and prenatal air pollution exposure to fine particulate matter. Environmental Health. 2020;19(1):1–12.
34. C. Chi G, Liu Y, MacDonald JW, M. Reynolds L, Enquobahrie DA, L. Fitzpatrick A, et al. Epigenome-wide analysis of long-term air pollution exposure and DNA methylation in monocytes: results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Epigenetics. 2022;17(3):297–313.
35. Eze IC, Jeong A, Schaffner E, Rezwan FI, Ghantous A, Foraster M, et al. Genome-wide DNA methylation in peripheral blood and long-term exposure to source-specific transportation noise and air pollution: the SAPALDIA study. Environ Health Perspect. 2020;128(6):67003.
36. Wang C, Chen R, Shi M, Cai J, Shi J, Yang C, et al. Possible mediation by methylation in acute inflammation following personal exposure to fine particulate air pollution. Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(3):484–93.
37. Tobaldini E, Bollati V, Prado M, Fiorelli EM, Pecis M, Bissolotti G, et al. Acute particulate matter affects cardiovascular autonomic modulation and IFN-γ methylation in healthy volunteers. Environ Res. 2018;161:97–103.
38. Zhang Y, Salam MT, Berhane K, Eckel SP, Rappaport EB, Linn WS, et al. Genetic and epigenetic susceptibility of airway inflammation to PM2. 5 in school children: new insights from quantile regression. Environmental Health. 2017;16(1):1–10.
39. Cai J, Zhao Y, Liu P, Xia B, Zhu Q, Wang X, et al. Exposure to particulate air pollution during early pregnancy is associated with placental DNA methylation. Science of The Total Environment. 2017;607:1103–8.
40. Shen Y, Peng C, Bai Q, Ding Y, Yi X, Du H, et al. Epigenome-wide association study indicates hypomethylation of MTRNR2L8 in large-artery atherosclerosis stroke. Stroke. 2019;50(6):1330–8.
41. Maghbooli Z, Hossein-Nezhad A, Adabi E, Asadollah-Pour E, Sadeghi M, Mohammad-Nabi S, et al. Air pollution during pregnancy and placental adaptation in the levels of global DNA methylation. PLoS One. 2018;13(7):e0199772.
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| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 11 No 1 (2026): Winter 2026 | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Air pollution; Epigenetics alteration; DNA methylation; Fine particulate matter | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Sharma R, Puttaswamy H, Tyagi S. Epigenetic alteration in response to particulate matter exposures: A review on DNA methylation. JAPH. 2026;11(1):131-152.
