Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/10067
Prior to May 2024, previously known as the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health.
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Correlates of Cardiovascular Disease among Youth with Type 1 Diabetes(2019) Montresor-Lopez, Jessica Anne; Puett, Robin C; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Air pollution from traffic-related sources is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), potentially through changes in systemic inflammatory responses, vascular function and oxidative stress leading to atherosclerosis, thrombosis or endothelial dysfunction. Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a greater risk of CVD-related morbidity and mortality than the general population, and they may be more susceptible to the effects of air pollution on CVD. Although these increased risks begin during childhood, very few studies have assessed the impact of air pollution on children and youth with T1D. This dissertation directly addresses gaps in the epidemiologic evidence by: 1) evaluating the relationship of short-term exposures to traffic-related air pollutants with pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, 2) assessing the effects of changes in air pollution exposures on changes in inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and 3) examining the relationship of long-term exposures to traffic-related air pollution with allostatic load (AL), a measure of cumulative biological risk, among a cohort of youth with T1D. Data were obtained from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth (SEARCH) study. SEARCH was initiated in 2000 and includes a diverse population of US youth diagnosed with diabetes prior to age 20 years. Anthropometric and laboratory measures were taken at SEARCH study visits, and standardized questionnaires were used to collect information on important covariates. Air pollution exposures were estimated using spatio-temporal models and assigned to residential addresses for each participant. In the first study, we identified a significant association between increased exposure to PM2.5 on the day of the examination with higher PWV using generalized linear models adjusted for lifestyle and demographic characteristics. In the second analysis, we found consistent positive effects of increases in PM2.5 over the week prior to the examination with IL-6 using longitudinal mixed models. In the third study, no significant associations were observed for monthly and annual PM2.5 exposures or proximity to major roadways with AL in fully adjusted linear mixed models. However, effects differed by race/ethnicity and gender. Overall, this research indicates that youth with T1D may be at higher risk for air pollution-related cardiovascular impacts.Item NEW METHODOLOGY TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS FOR ANCA-ASSOCIATED VASCULITIDES(2018) Beins, Kaley Elizabeth; Milton, Donald K.; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A series of rare autoimmune disorders that affect the blood vessels, vasculitis is chronic and potentially deadly. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) comprise three diagnostic forms of this autoimmune disorder: granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA or Churg-Strauss syndrome). The limited resources available to vasculitis researchers have been mostly targeted toward treatment and relapse prediction with a small amount of research examining genetic and environmental etiologic factors. Therefore, additional research is needed to understand the role of gene-environment interactions in AAV etiology. This thesis reviews the current body of AAV literature with a focus on candidate genes, occupational and environmental exposures, and the hygiene hypothesis. It also designs an original survey and study methodology to further investigate these etiologic factors. A better understanding of AAV etiology will lead to prevention and improved treatment of these costly diseases.Item Impact of Cryptosporidium spp. interaction with co-occurring microorganisms on moderate-to-severe diarrhea in the developing world(2015) Reid, Molly Carroll; Sapkota, Amy R; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Diarrheal illness is responsible for over a quarter of all deaths in children under 5 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Recent findings have identified the parasite Cryptosporidium as a contributor to enteric disease. We examined 9,348 cases and 13,128 controls from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study to assess whether Cryptosporidium interacted with co-occurring pathogens based on adjusted odds of moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD). Cryptosporidium was found to interact negatively with Shigella spp., with multiplicative interaction score of 0.16 (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.37, p-value=0.000), and an additive interaction score of -9.81 (95% CI: -13.61 to -6.01, p-value=0.000). Cryptosporidium also interacted negatively with Aeromonas spp., Adenovirus, Norovirus, and Astrovirus with marginal significance. Odds of MSD for Cryptosporidium co-infection with Shigella spp., Aeromonas spp., Adenovirus, Norovirus, or Astrovirus are lower than odds of MSD with either organism alone. This may reduce the efficacy of intervention strategies targeted at Cryptosporidium.Item Maternal mercury exposure, season of conception and adverse birth outcomes in an urban immigrant community in New York City(2012) Bashore, Cynthia Diana Jennings; Sapkota, Amir; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB: < 37 weeks gestation) and low birthweight (LBW: <2500g) result in severe infant morbidity and mortality. In the United States, there are racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of preterm birth and low birth weight. The focus of this study is to examine the association between frequency of maternal fish consumption during pregnancy, prenatal mercury exposure, and season of conception with preterm birth and low birth weight in a population of African-American, Caribbean and West Indian women in an urban immigrant community in New York City. The proportion of preterm births and low birth rates in this cohort of women was higher than reported in other studies of African-American and Caribbean births in New York City. There was no association between maternal urinary mercury or infant cord blood concentrations and either LBW or preterm birth. Infants conceived in winter (December, January, February) were at increased odds of low birthweight.