Long-Term Exposure to PM10 and in vivo Alzheimer’s Disease Pathologies

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Lee, Jun Ho^{a; b} | Byun, Min Soo^c | Yi, Dahyun^d | Ko, Kang^b | Jeon, So Yeon^e | Sohn, Bo Kyung^f | Lee, Jun-Young^{g; h} | Lee, Younghwaⁱ | Joung, Haejungⁱ | Lee, Dong Young^{a; d; g; i; *} | for the KBASE Research Group

Affiliations: [a] Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [b] Department of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [c] Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea | [d] Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [e] Department of Psychiatry, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea | [f] Department of Psychiatry, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [g] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [h] Department of Neuropsychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [i] Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dong Young Lee, MD, PhD, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital & Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea. Tel.: +82 2 2072 2205; Fax: +82 2 744 7241; E-mail: selfpsy@snu.ac.kr.

Abstract: Background:Previous studies indicated an association between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia and air particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter <10μm (PM10), as well as smaller PM. Limited information, however, is available for the neuropathological links underlying such association. Objective:This study aimed to investigate the relationship between long-term PM10 exposure and in vivo pathologies of AD using multimodal neuroimaging. Methods:The study population consisted of 309 older adults without dementia (191 cognitively normal and 118 mild cognitive impairment individuals), who lived in Republic of Korea. Participants underwent comprehensive clinical assessments, 11C-Pittsburg compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging scans. A subset of 78 participants also underwent 18F-AV-1451 tau PET evaluation. The mean concentration of PM with aerodynamic diameter <10μm over the past 5 years (PM10mean) collected from air pollution surveillance stations were matched to each participant’s residence. Results:In this non-demented study population, of which 62% were cognitively normal and 38% were in mild cognitive impairment state, exposure to the highest tertile of PM10mean was associated with increased risk of amyloid-β (Aβ) positivity (odds ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 4.26) even after controlling all potential confounders. In contrast, there was no significant associations between PM10mean exposure and tau accumulation. AD signature cortical thickness and white matter hyperintensity volume were also not associated with PM10mean exposure. Conclusion:The findings suggest that long-term exposure to PM10 may contribute to pathological Aβ deposition.

Keywords: Amyloid-β, cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment, neurodegeneration, PM10, tau

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-200694

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 745-756, 2020