Grant: Catalyst Grant - CEEHRC Epigenetics, Environment & Health

The objective of our pilot project is to clarify how an important environmental factor, air pollution, may influence changes in the regulation of gene activity and expression, which subsequently could increase risk of the development of chronic rheumatic diseases, in particular rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this proposal, we focus on an important environmental factor, related to air pollution. We will study the potential effects of air pollution on immune system changes (specifically, antibodies in the blood that are markers of the risk of RA). In these analyses, we also consider how air pollution can affect the regulation of gene activity and expression. Our project is made possible by the existence of a large population-based sample of subjects in Quebec, who have agreed to participate in a study called CARTaGENE (CARTE=map, GÈNE=gene). CARTaGENE is a unique, publicly funded research resource, which administers a database of over 20,000 Quebec residents. This contains environmental, demographic and health data, that subjects have provided, with the understanding that projects will be developed to study many different determinants of health and disease. Also available are DNA and blood samples. In our analyses, the exposures of interest will be markers of life-time exposure to pollution, based on information provided by subjects regarding their residences through-out their lives. This information can be used to construct life-time exposures to residential pollution, based on monitoring data from Environment Canada and other sources. Using statistical models to adjust for important factors, we expect to be able to identify the role of air pollution in driving the risk of diseases like RA. The data and samples collected in the context of the CARTaGENE project represent powerful but under-used resources, which are well-suited to our aims. This work will pave the way for further research efforts.