TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental pollutant risk factors for worse COVID-19 related clinical outcomes in predominately hispanic and latino populations
AU - Baumert, Brittney O.
AU - Wang, Hongxu
AU - Samy, Shar
AU - Park, Sung Kyun
AU - Lam, Chun Nok
AU - Dunn, Kathryn
AU - Pinto-Pacheco, Brismar
AU - Walker, Douglas
AU - Landero, Julio
AU - Conti, David
AU - Chatzi, Leda
AU - Hu, Howard
AU - Goodrich, Jesse A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2024/7/1
Y1 - 2024/7/1
N2 - Background: Per- and poly-fluorinated compounds (PFAS) and heavy metals constitute two classes of environmental exposures with known immunotoxicant effects. In this pilot study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of exposure to heavy metals and PFAS on COVID-19 severity. We hypothesized that elevated plasma-PFAS concentrations and urinary heavy metal concentrations would be associated with increased odds of ICU admission in COVID-19 hospitalized individuals. Methods: Using the University of Southern California Clinical Translational Sciences Institute (SC-CTSI) biorepository of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, urinary concentrations of 15 heavy metals and urinary creatinine were measured in n = 101 patients and plasma concentrations of 13 PFAS were measured in n = 126 patients. COVID-19 severity was determined based on whether a patient was admitted to the ICU during hospitalization. Associations of metals and PFAS with ICU admission were assessed using logistic regression models, controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, and for metals, urinary dilution. Results: The average age of patients was 55 ± 14.2 years. Among SC-CTSI participants with urinary measurement of heavy metals and blood measures of PFAS, 54.5% (n = 61) and 54.8% (n = 80) were admitted to the ICU, respectively. For heavy metals, we observed higher levels of Cd, Cr, and Cu in ICU patients. The strongest associations were with Cadmium (Cd). After accounting for covariates, each 1 SD increase in Cd resulted in a 2.00 (95% CI: 1.10–3.60; p = 0.03) times higher odds of admission to the ICU. When including only Hispanic or Latino participants, the effect estimates between cadmium and ICU admission remained similar. Results for PFAS were less consistent, with perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS) exhibiting a positive but non-significant association with ICU admission (Odds ratio, 95% CI: 1.50, 0.97–2.20) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) exhibiting a negative association with ICU admission (0.53, 0.31–0.88). Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that environmental exposures may impact COVID-19 severity.
AB - Background: Per- and poly-fluorinated compounds (PFAS) and heavy metals constitute two classes of environmental exposures with known immunotoxicant effects. In this pilot study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of exposure to heavy metals and PFAS on COVID-19 severity. We hypothesized that elevated plasma-PFAS concentrations and urinary heavy metal concentrations would be associated with increased odds of ICU admission in COVID-19 hospitalized individuals. Methods: Using the University of Southern California Clinical Translational Sciences Institute (SC-CTSI) biorepository of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, urinary concentrations of 15 heavy metals and urinary creatinine were measured in n = 101 patients and plasma concentrations of 13 PFAS were measured in n = 126 patients. COVID-19 severity was determined based on whether a patient was admitted to the ICU during hospitalization. Associations of metals and PFAS with ICU admission were assessed using logistic regression models, controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, and for metals, urinary dilution. Results: The average age of patients was 55 ± 14.2 years. Among SC-CTSI participants with urinary measurement of heavy metals and blood measures of PFAS, 54.5% (n = 61) and 54.8% (n = 80) were admitted to the ICU, respectively. For heavy metals, we observed higher levels of Cd, Cr, and Cu in ICU patients. The strongest associations were with Cadmium (Cd). After accounting for covariates, each 1 SD increase in Cd resulted in a 2.00 (95% CI: 1.10–3.60; p = 0.03) times higher odds of admission to the ICU. When including only Hispanic or Latino participants, the effect estimates between cadmium and ICU admission remained similar. Results for PFAS were less consistent, with perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS) exhibiting a positive but non-significant association with ICU admission (Odds ratio, 95% CI: 1.50, 0.97–2.20) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) exhibiting a negative association with ICU admission (0.53, 0.31–0.88). Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that environmental exposures may impact COVID-19 severity.
KW - Cadmium
KW - Health disparities
KW - Heavy metals
KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
KW - SARs-CoV-2
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85192941646
U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119072
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119072
M3 - Article
C2 - 38729411
AN - SCOPUS:85192941646
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 252
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
M1 - 119072
ER -