Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Telomere Length in Children and Adolescents Living in Fresno, CA: A Pilot Study

Objective: The main objective of this pilot study was to gather preliminary information about how telomere length (TL) varies in relation to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in children living in a highly polluted city. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of children living in Fresno, California (n = 14). Subjects with and without asthma were selected based on their annual average PAH level in the 12-months prior to their blood draw. We measured relative telomere length from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Results: We found an inverse linear relationship between average PAH level and TL (R-2 = 0.69), as well as between age and TL (R-2 = 0.21). Asthmatics had shorter mean telomere length than non-asthmatics (TLasthmatic = 1.13, TLnon-asthmatic - 1.29). Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that exposure to ambient PAH may play a role in telomere shortening.