Environmental Exposure Research Articles

Методические аспекты использования анализа аллостатической нагрузки в оценке здоровья работающего населения в условиях воздействия производственных факторов (аналитический обзор)

Preventive medicine of pathogenetically based technologies for prenosological diagnostics of health risks at the stage of reversible physiological dysregulation is being introduced into practice as a relevant strategy for preserving population. It provides suitable conditions for timely prevention of chronic diseases and reducing risks of premature mortality among working age population. Using resources of the scientific information systems CyberLeninka, eLibrary, PubMed and Google scholar, the authors analyzed and summarized scientific literature data on methodological aspects and problems related to practical appli-cation of the concept of allostasis and allostatic load (AL) in assessing and predicting health risks for working population. The review focuses on the main causes of physiological dysregulation leading to AL formation under environmental exposures, including occupational ones; presents the most popular biomarkers of the functional state of the neuroendocrine, immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular and metabolic systems included in the sets of variables for determining the AL index. The review also provides the description of the most common algorithms for calculating the AL index used in preventive examinations of workers and highlights methodological approaches to the correction of AL values with regular intake of medicines. The sex-specific age dynamics of AL is presented; attention is drawn to the aggravating effect produced on AL by negative behavioral factors. The review shows that it is still difficult to introduce this methodology into routine practices of preventive medical examinations of working population despite the proven diagnostic and prognostic significance of the prenosological diagnosis of health disorders based on AL. This is mostly due to lack of consensus on standardized approaches to creating sets of biomarker scales and a method for calculating the AL index, as well as considering the sex factor and contribution of therapeutic effects to cumulative assessment of risks of developing physiological dysfunctions.

Invited Perspective: Changing Places-How Moving Histories Can Help Map the Health Impacts of People's Environmental Exposures.

Invited Perspective: Changing Places-How Moving Histories Can Help Map the Health Impacts of People's Environmental Exposures.

Effect of secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment methods on opioids and the subsequent environmental impact of effluent and biosolids

Opioids are widely distributed, potent prescription analgesics that are known to be diverted for illicit use. Their prevalence of use is reflected by high concentrations of parent compounds and/or metabolites found in samples collected from wastewater treatment plants. Given that treatment byproducts enter the environment through several routes, the consequences of insufficient removal by treatment methods include unwanted environmental exposure and potential to disrupt ecosystems. Activated sludge treatment has been widely investigated for a large suite of prescription opioids but the same cannot be said for UV and chlorination. Additionally, the biosolid cycle of opioids has been overlooked previously. This study aimed to determine the extent to which secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment methods remove opioids from influent, and the associated environmental exposure for those persistent, as well as the fate of opioids in biosolids. Membrane bioreactor treatment proved effective for natural and semi-synthetic opioids while the effect of UV treatment was negligible. Chlorination was the most effective treatment method resulting in effluent with concentrations below theoretical predicted no-effect concentration. Biosolids are not subjected to any additional biological or chemical treatment after membrane bioreactor treatment and the levels detected in biosolid used as fertiliser had several opioids at potentially hazardous concentrations, indicated by a QSAR theoretical model. This data indicates a potential issue regarding the treatment process of biosolids and reliance on chlorination for effluent treatment that should be investigated in other treatment plants.

Environmental Exposures and Metabolomics: Unraveling Impacts on Placental Inflammatory Signaling

Environmental Exposures and Metabolomics: Unraveling Impacts on Placental Inflammatory Signaling

Methodological aspects of using allostatic load analysis in assessing health of working population exposed to adverse occupational factors (Analytical review)

Preventive medicine of pathogenetically based technologies for prenosological diagnostics of health risks at the stage of reversible physiological dysregulation is being introduced into practice as a relevant strategy for preserving population. It provides suitable conditions for timely prevention of chronic diseases and reducing risks of premature mortality among working age population. Using resources of the scientific information systems CyberLeninka, eLibrary, PubMed and Google scholar, the authors analyzed and summarized scientific literature data on methodological aspects and problems related to practical appli-cation of the concept of allostasis and allostatic load (AL) in assessing and predicting health risks for working population. The review focuses on the main causes of physiological dysregulation leading to AL formation under environmental exposures, including occupational ones; presents the most popular biomarkers of the functional state of the neuroendocrine, immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular and metabolic systems included in the sets of variables for determining the AL index. The review also provides the description of the most common algorithms for calculating the AL index used in preventive examinations of workers and highlights methodological approaches to the correction of AL values with regular intake of medicines. The sex-specific age dynamics of AL is presented; attention is drawn to the aggravating effect produced on AL by negative behavioral factors. The review shows that it is still difficult to introduce this methodology into routine practices of preventive medical examinations of working population despite the proven diagnostic and prognostic significance of the prenosological diagnosis of health disorders based on AL. This is mostly due to lack of consensus on standardized approaches to creating sets of biomarker scales and a method for calculating the AL index, as well as considering the sex factor and contribution of therapeutic effects to cumulative assessment of risks of developing physiological dysfunctions.

Migrant Deaths in New Mexico: What is Known; What is Unknown

Executive Summary The United States is no stranger to migration across its borders. In 2020, its Southwestern border saw a drastic increase in apprehensions by the Border Patrol. While imperfect and an undercount of the true number of migration events, apprehension data is often used as a proxy to understand migration patterns. The rise in migration was coupled with an increased but unknown number of deaths along migration routes. This article focuses on the New Mexico portion of the El Paso Border Patrol Sector and the increased migrant caseload at New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) over the last few years. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first academic study to examine migrant deaths in detail in southern New Mexico. We begin by contextualizing the changing pattern of migrant deaths in New Mexico within the broader framework of border policing strategies that have intentionally pushed migration routes to remote areas. We describe the work of the OMI, highlighting its very recent initiatives to track migrant deaths in its database. We then discuss the changes seen by the OMI in its migrant caseload from fiscal year (FY) 2009 to 2023, with the most drastic increase in cases occurring from 2022 to 2023. For instance, the data indicate that most of the identified migrants that have died in New Mexico were recovered in June and July (45 percent), crossed through Doña Ana County (66 percent), were male (60 percent), and among those identified, were from Mexico (65 percent) and between 20 and 39 years of age (69 percent). Of the 248 cases of migrant deaths, 87 percent have been identified. The most common causes of death were undetermined (46 percent) and environmental exposure (41 percent). We then explore the effects of changing governmental policies and state initiatives to curb/reduce migration in the US on OMI’s increased caseload. We discuss the impact that the rapid shift in migration deaths is having on the OMI and how OMI is working to respond and adjust to the dynamic situation. This work highlights the collateral damage of border security measures, underscored by the increasing number of deaths and challenges faced by the OMI. We consider the need for new and amended policies aimed at mitigating the humanitarian crisis that continues to unfold, emphasizing the need for the humane treatment of migrants. Finally, we suggest allocating resources to death investigating agencies. These resources would provide essential support to find, identify, and repatriate migrants, improve agencies’ abilities to collaborate with governmental agencies and programs such as Border Patrol’s Missing Migrant Program, and improve our understanding of the circumstances along the Southwestern border.

Histopathological Patterns of Lung Cancer in Iran: A Single-Center Study.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In Iran, it is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths for men and the third most common for women. This study aimed to examine the clinicopathological characteristics of Iranian patients with LC. Clinicopathological data of 1382 patients with primary LC diagnosed over 11 years (2012‒2023) at the "National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease" (NRITLD), Tehran, Iran, were retrospectively reviewed. Adenocarcinoma was the most common type of cancer found in the patients (42.44%). The median age was 59.69 years (mean: 60.41 years) ranging 24-88 years. The mean male-to-female ratio was 3.65. Additionally, 65.84% of patients were smokers. The majority of patients (82.69 %) were diagnosed at an advanced stage (stage IV) of cancer. Although some of our findings are consistent with those of previous LC studies, there are some discrepancies, especially concerning the smoking status and median age of the Iranian patients. Therefore, additional clinical and epidemiological studies are needed to determine the impact of non-smoking factors, such as environmental exposure and genetic predisposition, on the development of LC.

Occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of phthalate esters in dust deposited in the outdoor environment of Yazd industrial park using Monte Carlo simulation

In this study, the distribution of eight phthalate esters (PAEs), namely (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)) were examined across fifteen sampling stations in Yazd industrial Park. All the PAEs in dust deposited in the outdoor environment were analyzed using a Gas-mass chromatography (GC-MS/MS) device. Both probabilistic and deterministic approaches were utilized to assess the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks for adult occupational population groups. These risks were associated with three exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and dermal exposure to six phthalates in the dust samples. The findings revealed, among the fifteen sampling stations, highest and lowest concentrations of the PAEs in dust deposited in the outdoor environment were observed in S8 and S6, with BEHP (326.21 ± 4.35) μg/g and DMP (0.00 ± 0.02) μg/g, respectively. The total hazard index (HI) values were below one in all samples, indicating that the combined non-carcinogenic health risk from exposure to phthalates via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal pathways is within acceptable levels in each studied area. The total cancer risk (CR) values for BBP across all exposure routes were consistently low, with magnitudes ranging from 10- x 10−15to 10 x 10−11. The order of cancer risk from phthalate exposure in outdoor environments was ingestion > dermal > inhalation. The sensitivity analysis (SA) results indicated that the influential parameters in the carcinogenic risk in adult occupational population groups were concentration for inhalation and dermal pathways, as well as ingestion rate for the ingestion pathway. The result of this study provides new insight in to PAEs pollution and risk assessments related to the dust deposited in the outdoor environment of industrial Park. Furthermore, this finding is beneficial to the controlling the exposure and promoting steps to reduce PAEs contamination and manage health in the industrial area.

Multifaceted contribution of environmental pollution, race and income to health inequities in Texas

Abstract Prior studies found links between ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and proximity to toxic environmental contaminants harmful to human health. However, there is no consensus among environmental economists on whether ethnicity or economics are the primary causes of health inequity under the influence of environmental hazard exposure. This paper explores this research question in Texas, the second largest US state, and the most diverse demographically, using a comprehensive framework with twelve main factors as key determinants for environmental-related health outcomes. The matrix of associations among factors of environmental pollution, economic class, race/ethnicity, and state of health is very complicated by multiple inter-correlations among components. To differentiate the relative importance of various factors, twelve statistically large population cohorts were compared, based on four racial/ethnic groups, each with three different levels of poverty. This novel approach allows for more meaningful comparisons, by normalizing groups for ethnicity and prevalence of poverty, two of the most influential socioeconomic factors. Compared to majority-White communities, majority-Hispanic and -Black communities were found to be more disproportionally negatively impacted by environmental pollution and socioeconomic challenges. This resulted in worse health outcomes: higher prevalence of chronic diseases and a shortened life span. The prevalence of poverty appears to play a dominant role in health outcomes across all racial/ethnic groups. Consistent with prior research, the Hispanic community has shown a strong positive correlation with the prevalence of diabetes, while the Black community has a high prevalence of asthma.

NMR-based metabolomics analysis reveals the effect of environmental contamination exposure on fishermen living around the Mundaú Lagoon in Maceió (Alagoas, Brazil)

The Mundaú lagoon in Maceió (Alagoas, Brazil) is a crucial resource for the local population, particularly fishing communities. Recent studies have revealed potential toxic metal contamination in the lagoon, particularly with mercury (Hg) levels exceeding the maximum regulated values. This inorganic contaminant may be impacting the health of fishermen and the local population. In this context, metabolomics, a study of small-molecule metabolites, can offer insights into the physiological impact of environmental contamination on humans. Thus, volunteers from the control and exposed groups were selected, considering the main exposure criteria primarily defined by their proximity and interaction with the lagoon. Blood and urine samples were collected from the volunteers and subjected to analysis using NMR spectroscopy. The data underwent Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) based on metabolic patterns to establish group discrimination or identification. Metabolic pathways were assessed through enrichment analysis. The study revealed several metabolic disturbances in the exposed group's urine and plasma samples compared to control group. Noteworthy findings included arginine and proline metabolism disruptions, indicative of ammonia recycling and urea cycle impairment. These changes suggest compromised ammonia detoxification in the exposed group. Disturbances in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the transfer of acetyl groups into mitochondria suggested systemic metabolic stress in energy metabolism. Furthermore, elevated carnitine and ketone levels may indicate compensatory responses to low TCA cycle activity. Alterations in glutamate and glutathione metabolism and imbalances in glutathione levels indicate oxidative stress and impaired detoxification. This study highlights significant metabolic changes in fishermen exposed to contaminated environments, which can affect various metabolic pathways, including energy metabolism and antioxidant processes, potentially making individuals more vulnerable to the adverse effects of environmental contaminants. Finally, this work highlights insights into the relationship between environmental contamination and metabolic pathways, particularly in regions with limited studies.

Potential hazards of bisphenol A on the male reproductive system: Induction of programmed cell death in testicular cells.

A common industrial chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to endocrine disruption and can interfere with hormonal signaling pathways in humans and animals. This comprehensive review aims to explore the detrimental consequences of BPA on reproductive organ performance and apoptosis induction, shedding light on the emerging body of evidence from laboratory animal studies. Historically, most studies investigating the connection between BPA and reproductive tissue function have mainly leaned on laboratory animal models. These studies have provided crucial insights into the harmful effects of BPA on several facets of reproduction. This review consolidates an increasing literature that correlates exposure to BPA in the environment with a negative impact on human health. It also integrates findings from laboratory studies conducted on diverse species, collectively bolstering the mounting evidence that environmental BPA exposure can be detrimental to both humans and animals, particularly to reproductive health. Furthermore, this article explores the fundamental processes by which BPA triggers cell death and apoptosis in testicular cells. By elucidating these mechanisms, this review aids a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between BPA and reproductive tissues.

Group Inverse-Gamma Gamma Shrinkage for Sparse Linear Models with Block-Correlated Regressors

Heavy-tailed continuous shrinkage priors, such as the horseshoe prior, are widely used for sparse estimation problems. However, there is limited work extending these priors to predictors with grouping structures. Of particular interest in this article, is regression coefficient estimation where pockets of high collinearity in the covariate space are contained within known covariate groupings. To assuage variance inflation due to multicollinearity we propose the group inverse-gamma gamma (GIGG) prior, a heavy-tailed prior that can trade-off between local and group shrinkage in a data adaptive fashion. A special case of the GIGG prior is the group horseshoe prior, whose shrinkage profile is correlated within-group such that the regression coefficients marginally have exact horseshoe regularization. We show posterior consistency for regression coefficients in linear regression models and posterior concentration results for mean parameters in sparse normal means models. The full conditional distributions corresponding to GIGG regression can be derived in closed form, leading to straightforward posterior computation. We show that GIGG regression results in low mean-squared error across a wide range of correlation structures and within-group signal densities via simulation. We apply GIGG regression to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for associating environmental exposures with liver functionality.

Repurposing Drugs for Cancer Prevention: Targeting Mechanisms Common to Chronic Diseases.

The development of agents for cancer prevention is a lengthy process requiring a delicate balance between the safety and tolerability of potential interventions and effectiveness in preventing future cancer. Individuals at risk for a specific cancer are frequently at risk for multiple types of cancer as well as other chronic diseases, especially ones associated with aging. Shared environmental exposures, genetic predisposition, metabolic factors, and commonalities in pathogenesis suggest opportunities for combined targeting of cancer and other chronic diseases. Examples discussed here include mechanisms shared between various cancers and obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Characterization and potential toxicity of asbestiform erionite from Gawler Downs, New Zealand

Abstract Erionite is the name for a zeolite mineral series originating from diagenesis or hydrothermal alteration of volcanic rocks. The particular erionite “species” is based on the dominant extra-framework cation, erionite-Ca, erionite-K, or erionite Na. Irrespective of the species, erionite can display a fibrous/asbestiform morphology and has been linked with cases of malignant mesothelioma, a disease typically associated with asbestos exposure. Characterization of new discoveries of erionite is therefore important to assess any potential exposure hazards. This study describes a new asbestiform erionite from vesicles within the Upper Cretaceous Mt. Somers Volcanics Group (MSVG), Canterbury, New Zealand. The erionite is within the Hinds River Dacite, the youngest unit within the MSVG at Gawler Downs, ~100 km west of Christchurch, in the foothills of the Southern Alps. A multi-analytical approach was taken to analyze the sample which included micro-Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and X-ray powder diffraction with the Rietveld method. Results confirmed the mineral as fibrous erionite-K. The chemical composition of the mineral is unique due to the presence of higher levels of Mg. While Fe was also identified, this was due to smectite flakes occurring on the surface of the erionite fibers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) respirable mineral fiber definition, where length ≥5 μm, width ≤3 μm, and aspect ratio (L/w) ≥3:1, the Gawler Downs erionite fibers are respirable, while the fibers themselves exceed respirable thickness. In addition to morphology, a value for the potential toxicity model was computed to be 2.28 for the Gawler Downs erionite. This is similar to those of other carcinogenic erionites from Karain, Turkey (2.33), and Nevada, U.S.A. (2.28). Taken together, results indicate Gawler Downs erionite represents an environmental hazard. Nevertheless, further investigation is required to determine potential environmental exposure pathways by which erionite may become airborne and assess the actual environmental risk in the Gawler Downs area.

PLASTAMINATION: Outcomes on the Central Nervous System and Reproduction.

Environmental exposures to non-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics are unavoidable. Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) from the manufacturing of plastics (primary sources) and the degradation of plastic waste (secondary sources) can enter the food chain directly or indirectly and, passing biological barriers, could target both the brain and the gonads. Hence, the worldwide diffusion of environmental plastic contamination (PLASTAMINATION) in daily life may represent a possible and potentially serious risk to human health. This review provides an overview of the effects of non-biodegradable and the more recently introduced biodegradable MPs and NPs on the brain and brain-dependent reproductive functions, summarizing the molecular mechanisms and outcomes on nervous and reproductive organs. Data from in vitro, ex vivo, non-mammalian and mammalian animal models and epidemiological studies have been reviewed and discussed. MPs and NPs from non-biodegradable plastics affect organs, tissues and cells from sensitive systems such as the brain and reproductive organs. Both MPs and NPs induce oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, energy metabolism disorders, mitochondrial dysfunction and cytotoxicity, which in turn are responsible for neuroinflammation, dysregulation of synaptic functions, metabolic dysbiosis, poor gamete quality, and neuronal and reproductive toxicity. In spite of this mechanistic knowledge gained from studies of non-biodegradable plastics, relatively little is known about the adverse effects or molecular mechanisms of MPs and NPs from biodegradable plastics. The neurological and reproductive health risks of MPs/NPs exposure warrant serious consideration, and further studies on biodegradable plastics are recommended.

Integrated Approach for the Assessment of Real Risk of Population Exposure in Industrial Areas

Research goal is to identify an integrated approach for assessing real risk exposure of population located in areas of extractive industries. We focused on environmental data evaluation (diffusion model), figures and contextual analysis of active health surveillance data of the population (questionnaire, chemistry panel, spirometry and activation of a biobank). Environmental exposure data crossed with the calculation of the AQI (Air Quality Index) did not highlight any critical issues. A cohort of 600 locals subjected to health surveillance was analysed by calculating risk perception; a questionnaire aimed at assessing risk perception was administered to the population sample.All data (environmental and clinical) were georeferenced and analysed using GIS (Geographic Information System) software; study of contaminant distribution was carried out using a Q-GIS software shows average exposure conditions well below regulatory limits, with minor exceptions relative to concentrations of finer particulate matter (PM 2.5) and with reference only to the major urban centers; analysis of risk perception evince “incorrect” perception, with little confidence in relation to the environmental monitoring of the Regional Agencies.

Examining the importance of neighborhood natural, and built environment factors in predicting older adults' mental well-being: An XGBoost-SHAP approach

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that urban neighborhood environmental factors significantly influence the health outcomes of urban older adults. However, most cross-sectional studies exploring the health effects of these factors have failed to quantify the relative importance of each factor. MethodsWe use XGBoost machine learning techniques and SHAPley Additive Interpretation (SHAP) to rank the importance of urban neighborhood environmental factors in shaping the mental health of urban older adults. To address self-selection bias in housing choice, we distinguish older adults living in private housing from those living in public as residents in private housing have more freedom to choose where to live. ResultsThe results show that both natural and built environmental factors in urban neighborhoods are important predictors of mental well-being scores. Five natural environmental factors (blue space, perceived greenery quantity, NDVI, street view greenness, aesthetic quality) and three built environmental factors (physical activity facilities quality, physical activity facilities quantity, neighborhood disorder) had considerable predictive power for mental well-being scores in two groups. Among them, blue space, perceived greenery quantity and street view greenness quantity became less important after controlling for self-selection bias, possibly because of the unequal distribution of quantity and quality, and the performance of neighborhood disorder, aesthetic quality and physical activity facilities quality was more sensitive in public housing. ConclusionsThese results highlight the nuanced and differential effects of neighborhood environmental exposures on mental well-being outcomes, depending on housing preferences. The results of this study can provide support for decision makers in urban planning, landscape design and environmental management in order to improve the mental well-being status of urban older adults.

Breast cancer risk and prevention in 2024: An overview from the Breast Cancer UK - Breast Cancer Prevention Conference.

The Breast Cancer UK-Breast Cancer Prevention Conference addressed risk from environmental pollutants and health behaviour-related breast-cancer risk. Epidemiological studies examining individual chemicals and breast cancer risk have produced inconclusive results including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) Bisphenol A, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances as well as aluminium. However, laboratory studies have shown that multiple EDCs, can work together to exhibit effects, even when combined at levels that alone are ineffective. The TEXB-α/β assay measures total estrogenic load, and studies have provided evidence of a link between multiple-chemical exposures and breast cancer. However, prospective studies using TEXB-α/β are needed to establish a causative link. There is also a need to assess real-life exposure to environmental-chemical mixtures during pregnancy, and their potential involvement in programming adverse foetal health outcomes in later life. Higher rates of breast cancer have occurred alongside increases in potentially-modifiable risk factors such as obesity. Increasing body-mass index is associated with increased risk of developing postmenopausal breast cancer, but with decreased risk of premenopausal breast cancer. In contrast, lower rates of breast cancer in Asian compared to Western populations have been linked to soya/isoflavone consumption. Risk is decreased by breastfeeding, which is in addition to the decrease in risk observed for each birth and a young first-birth. Risk is lower in those with higher levels of self-reported physical activity. Current evidence suggests breast-cancer survivors should also avoid weight gain, be physically active, and eat a healthy diet for overall health. A broad scientific perspective on breast cancer risk requires focus on both environmental exposure to chemicals and health behaviour-related risk. Research into chemical exposure needs to focus on chemical mixtures and prospective epidemiological studies in order to test the effects on breast cancer risk. Behaviour-related research needs to focus on implementation as well as deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cancer prevention.

P21-45 Development of LC-HRMS untargeted analysis methods for neurological extracellular vesicles into environmental exposure science

P21-45 Development of LC-HRMS untargeted analysis methods for neurological extracellular vesicles into environmental exposure science

Employing a synergistic bioinformatics and machine learning framework to elucidate biomarkers associating asthma with pyrimidine metabolism genes

BackgroundAsthma, a prevalent chronic inflammatory disorder, is shaped by a multifaceted interplay between genetic susceptibilities and environmental exposures. Despite strides in deciphering its pathophysiological landscape, the intricate molecular underpinnings of asthma remain elusive. The focus has increasingly shifted toward the metabolic aberrations accompanying asthma, particularly within the domain of pyrimidine metabolism (PyM)—a critical pathway in nucleotide synthesis and degradation. While the therapeutic relevance of PyM has been recognized across various diseases, its specific contributions to asthma pathology are yet underexplored. This study employs sophisticated bioinformatics approaches to delineate and confirm the involvement of PyM genes (PyMGs) in asthma, aiming to bridge this significant gap in knowledge.MethodsEmploying cutting-edge bioinformatics techniques, this research aimed to elucidate the role of PyMGs in asthma. We conducted a detailed examination of 31 PyMGs to assess their differential expression. Through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), we explored the biological functions and pathways linked to these genes. We utilized Lasso regression and Support Vector Machine-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE) to pinpoint critical hub genes and to ascertain the diagnostic accuracy of eight PyMGs in distinguishing asthma, complemented by an extensive correlation study with the clinical features of the disease. Validation of the gene expressions was performed using datasets GSE76262 and GSE147878.ResultsOur analyses revealed that eleven PyMGs—DHODH, UMPS, NME7, NME1, POLR2B, POLR3B, POLR1C, POLE, ENPP3, RRM2B, TK2—are significantly associated with asthma. These genes play crucial roles in essential biological processes such as RNA splicing, anatomical structure maintenance, and metabolic processes involving purine compounds.ConclusionsThis investigation identifies eleven PyMGs at the core of asthma's pathogenesis, establishing them as potential biomarkers for this disease. Our findings enhance the understanding of asthma’s molecular mechanisms and open new avenues for improving diagnostics, monitoring, and progression evaluation. By providing new insights into non-cancerous pathologies, our work introduces a novel perspective and sets the stage for further studies in this field.