Impactions of Outdoor Air Pollutants Exposure to Maternal Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory Reaction and Fetal Growth among Healthy Pregnant Women in Northern Taiwan and Kaohsiung Areas

Background: Air pollutants exposure results in elevated concentrations of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in general populations. Increased concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers in pregnant women would be associated with preterm labor and low birth weight. To date, the associations between air pollutants exposure and oxidative stress/inflammation in pregnant women and fetuses are unknown, as well as their effects on fetal growth. Purpose: The first year of this project will evaluate the influences of outdoor air pollutants in southern Taiwan (Kaohsiung) area on concentrations of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in the blood of healthy pregnant women, in fetal cord blood, and how these biomarkers impact fetal growth. Above mentioned associations will be compared in healthy pregnant women who live in northern and southern Taiwan (Kaohsiung) areas in the second-year project. Methods: The first year of the project will recruit healthy pregnant women aged 20 or above who are in their first trimester and live in southern Taiwan (Kaohsiung) area. Personal characteristics, prenatal examination data (e.g., blood pressure), labor data (e.g., delivery, birth weight), outdoor air pollutants data will be obtained from recruited subjects. The oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators in the blood of healthy pregnant women and fetal cord blood will be analyzed. In the second-year study, the healthy pregnant women who recruited in the first-year study will be followed up until delivery. The data including personal characteristics, prenatal examination, labor, and outdoor air pollutants levels will be also obtained from recruited subjects. The levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in the healthy pregnant women will be analyzed. Expected results: This study will establish datasets of outdoor air pollutants exposure of healthy pregnant women in southern Taiwan (Kaohsiung) area, and concentrations of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in the blood of pregnant women and fetal cord blood. Further study will assess whether air pollutants exposure is related to concentrations of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in the blood of healthy pregnant women and in fetal cord blood, and even to fetal growth.

Project ID:PC10607-0341
External Project ID:MOST106-2314-B182-033