Analysis of Postdeployment Serum Samples Identifies Potential Biomarkers of Exposure to Burn Pits and Other Environmental Hazards

• Authors: Thomas H. Thatcher, University of Rochester; Collynn F. Woeller, University of Rochester; Juilee Thakar, University of Rochester; Atif Khan, University of Rochester; Philip Hopke, University of Rochester; Matthew Smith, Emory University; Karan Uppal, Emory University; Douglas Walker, Emory University; Young-Mi Go, Emory University; Dean Jones, Emory University; Pamela L. Krahl, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Timothy M. Mallon, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Patricia J. Sime, University of Rochester; Richard P. Phipps, University of Rochester; Mark J. Utell, University of Rochester
• Journal Title: JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
• Volume: Volume 61, Number 12
• Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS | 2019-12-01, Pages S45-S54
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001715
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Toxicology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Environmental Sciences; Biology, Genetics
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; burn pits; deployment; dioxins; exposure assessment; microRNA; POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS; HIGH-RESOLUTION METABOLOMICS; INCINERATOR OPERATIONS; MILITARY PERSONNEL; AIRBORNE DIOXINS; HEALTH OUTCOMES; BAGRAM AIRFIELD; MICRORNAS; EXPRESSION; DEPLOYMENT

Abstract

Objective:The potential health risks of deployment to sites with open burn pits remain poorly understood, in part, because personal exposure monitoring was not performed. Here, we investigated whether postdeployment serum samples contain biomarkers associated with exposure to burn pits.Methods:A total of 237 biomarkers were measured in 800 serum samples from deployed and never-deployed subjects. We used a regression model and a supervised vector machine to identify serum biomarkers with significant associations with exposures and deployment.Results:We identified 101 serum biomarkers associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins or furans, and 54 biomarkers associated with deployment. Twenty-six of these biomarkers were shared in common by the exposure and deployment groups.Conclusions:We identify a potential signature of exposure to open burn pits, and provide a framework for using postexposure sera to identify exposures when contemporaneous monitoring was inadequate.