Academic Bibliography

 Search 200 years of publications by Ghent University researchers.
Advanced search
1 file | 12.59 MB
Add to list
  1. Search results
  2. Sex differences in the association be...

Sex differences in the association between long-term ambient particulate air pollution and the intestinal microbiome composition of children

Thessa Van Pee, Liesa Engelen, Marthe De Boevre (UGent) , Muriel Derrien, Janneke Hogervorst, Roger Peró Gascón (UGent) , Michelle Plusquin, Giulia Poma, Arnau Vich I Vila, Adrian Covaci, et al.
(2025) ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL. 199.
Author
Organization
Project
Abstract
The intestinal microbiome is essential for gastrointestinal and overall health, yet its response to air pollution in children remains underexplored. In a study involving 412 young children from the ENVIRONAGE cohort, stool samples were analysed via Illumina Miseq sequencing to assess microbiome alpha diversity (observed richness, species evenness, and Shannon diversity) and composition. Exposure to previous year particulate air pollution (black carbon, PM2.5, coarse PM, and PM10) was modeled using high-resolution spatial–temporal interpolation models. Multiple linear regression models were adjusted for a priori selected covariables and stratified by sex. Furthermore, we performed a differential relative abundance analysis at family and genus level, while accounting for the same covariables. Statistically significant effect modification by sex was apparent for several intestinal alpha diversity indices and air pollutants. In boys, we observed negative associations between particulate air pollution exposure and intestinal microbiome richness (estimates ranging from 􀀀 5.55 to 􀀀 9.06 per interquartile range (IQR) increase in particulate air pollution exposure) and Shannon diversity (estimates ranging from 􀀀 0.058 to 􀀀 0.095 per IQR increase). Differently, in girls non-significant positive associations were observed with species evenness (estimates ranging from 0.019 to 0.020 per IQR increase) and Shannon diversity (estimate 0.065 per IQR increase in black carbon). After multiple testing correction, we reported several bacterial families and genera (Streptococcaceae, Clostridiales Incertae Sedis XIII, Coriobacteriaceae, Streptococcus, and Paraprevotella) to be oppositely associated with particulate air pollution exposure in boys and girls. Our findings show a sex-dependent association between particulate air pollution exposure and intestinal microbiome composition, highlighting boys as potentially more vulnerable to diversity loss associated with childhood exposure to particulate pollution.
Keywords
Intestinal microbiome, Alpha diversity, Air pollution, Particulate

Downloads

  • Download
    Sex differences in the association between long-term ambient particulate air pollution and the intestinal microbiome composition of children.pdf
    • full text (Published version)
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 12.59 MB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Van Pee, Thessa, et al. “Sex Differences in the Association between Long-Term Ambient Particulate Air Pollution and the Intestinal Microbiome Composition of Children.” ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL, vol. 199, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109457.
APA
Van Pee, T., Engelen, L., De Boevre, M., Derrien, M., Hogervorst, J., Peró Gascón, R., … Nawrot, T. S. (2025). Sex differences in the association between long-term ambient particulate air pollution and the intestinal microbiome composition of children. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL, 199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109457
Chicago author-date
Van Pee, Thessa, Liesa Engelen, Marthe De Boevre, Muriel Derrien, Janneke Hogervorst, Roger Peró Gascón, Michelle Plusquin, et al. 2025. “Sex Differences in the Association between Long-Term Ambient Particulate Air Pollution and the Intestinal Microbiome Composition of Children.” ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109457.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Van Pee, Thessa, Liesa Engelen, Marthe De Boevre, Muriel Derrien, Janneke Hogervorst, Roger Peró Gascón, Michelle Plusquin, Giulia Poma, Arnau Vich I Vila, Adrian Covaci, Lynn Vanhaecke, Sarah De Saeger, Jeroen Raes, and Tim S. Nawrot. 2025. “Sex Differences in the Association between Long-Term Ambient Particulate Air Pollution and the Intestinal Microbiome Composition of Children.” ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 199. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109457.
Vancouver
1.
Van Pee T, Engelen L, De Boevre M, Derrien M, Hogervorst J, Peró Gascón R, et al. Sex differences in the association between long-term ambient particulate air pollution and the intestinal microbiome composition of children. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL. 2025;199.
IEEE
[1]
T. Van Pee et al., “Sex differences in the association between long-term ambient particulate air pollution and the intestinal microbiome composition of children,” ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL, vol. 199, 2025.
@article{01JTN9JA7E065MEZCQH8G75GFP,
  abstract     = {{The intestinal microbiome is essential for gastrointestinal and overall health, yet its response to air pollution in
children remains underexplored. In a study involving 412 young children from the ENVIRONAGE cohort, stool
samples were analysed via Illumina Miseq sequencing to assess microbiome alpha diversity (observed richness,
species evenness, and Shannon diversity) and composition. Exposure to previous year particulate air pollution
(black carbon, PM2.5, coarse PM, and PM10) was modeled using high-resolution spatial–temporal interpolation
models. Multiple linear regression models were adjusted for a priori selected covariables and stratified by sex.
Furthermore, we performed a differential relative abundance analysis at family and genus level, while accounting
for the same covariables. Statistically significant effect modification by sex was apparent for several
intestinal alpha diversity indices and air pollutants. In boys, we observed negative associations between particulate
air pollution exposure and intestinal microbiome richness (estimates ranging from 􀀀 5.55 to 􀀀 9.06 per
interquartile range (IQR) increase in particulate air pollution exposure) and Shannon diversity (estimates ranging
from 􀀀 0.058 to 􀀀 0.095 per IQR increase). Differently, in girls non-significant positive associations were
observed with species evenness (estimates ranging from 0.019 to 0.020 per IQR increase) and Shannon diversity
(estimate 0.065 per IQR increase in black carbon). After multiple testing correction, we reported several bacterial
families and genera (Streptococcaceae, Clostridiales Incertae Sedis XIII, Coriobacteriaceae, Streptococcus, and Paraprevotella)
to be oppositely associated with particulate air pollution exposure in boys and girls. Our findings show
a sex-dependent association between particulate air pollution exposure and intestinal microbiome composition,
highlighting boys as potentially more vulnerable to diversity loss associated with childhood exposure to particulate
pollution.}},
  articleno    = {{109457}},
  author       = {{Van Pee, Thessa and Engelen, Liesa and De Boevre, Marthe and Derrien, Muriel and Hogervorst, Janneke and Peró Gascón, Roger and Plusquin, Michelle and Poma, Giulia and Vich I Vila, Arnau and Covaci, Adrian and Vanhaecke, Lynn and De Saeger, Sarah and Raes, Jeroen and Nawrot, Tim S.}},
  issn         = {{0160-4120}},
  journal      = {{ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL}},
  keywords     = {{Intestinal microbiome,Alpha diversity,Air pollution,Particulate}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{10}},
  title        = {{Sex differences in the association between long-term ambient particulate air pollution and the intestinal microbiome composition of children}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109457}},
  volume       = {{199}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
Altmetric
View in Altmetric
Web of Science
Times cited: