TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations of pre- and postnatal exposures with optic nerve status in young adults

AU - Zhu, Linna

AU - Munch, Inger Christine

AU - Pedersen, Casper-Emil T.

AU - Stokholm, Jakob

AU - Bønnelykke, Klaus

AU - Chawes, Bo

AU - Carlsson, Christian Jakob

AU - Schoos, Ann-Marie M.

AU - Larsen, Michael

AU - Bisgaard, Hans

AU - Brustad, Nicklas

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - PurposeWe aimed to explore the effect of multiple pre- and postnatal exposures on optic nerve status in young adults due to this critical period for development. MethodsWe analysed peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) status and macular thickness at age 18 years in the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2000 (COPSAC(2000)) cohort in relation to several exposures. ResultsOf the 269 participants (median (IQR) age, 17.6 (0.6) years; 124 boys), 60 participants whose mothers had smoked during pregnancy had a thinner RNFL: adjusted mean difference -4.6 mu m (95% CI -7.7; -1.5 mu m, p = 0.004) compared with participants whose mothers had not smoked during pregnancy. A total of 30 participants who were exposed to tobacco smoke both during foetal life and childhood had thinner RNFL: -9.6 mu m (-13.4; -5.8 mu m, p < 0.001). Smoking during pregnancy was also associated with a macular thickness deficit: -4.7 mu m (-9.0; -0.4 mu m, p = 0.03). Higher indoor concentrations of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) was associated with thinner RNFL: -3.6 mu m (-5.6; -1.6 mu m, p < 0.001) and a macular deficit: -2.7 mu m (-5.3; -0.1 mu m, p = 0.04) in the crude analyses, but not in the adjusted analyses. No difference was found among participants who smoked at age 18 years compared with non-smokers on RNFL or macular thickness. ConclusionsWe found that exposure to smoking during early life was associated with a thinner RNFL and macula at age 18 years. The absence of an association between active smoking at 18 years suggests that the vulnerability of the optic nerve is highest during prenatal life and early childhood.

AB - PurposeWe aimed to explore the effect of multiple pre- and postnatal exposures on optic nerve status in young adults due to this critical period for development. MethodsWe analysed peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) status and macular thickness at age 18 years in the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2000 (COPSAC(2000)) cohort in relation to several exposures. ResultsOf the 269 participants (median (IQR) age, 17.6 (0.6) years; 124 boys), 60 participants whose mothers had smoked during pregnancy had a thinner RNFL: adjusted mean difference -4.6 mu m (95% CI -7.7; -1.5 mu m, p = 0.004) compared with participants whose mothers had not smoked during pregnancy. A total of 30 participants who were exposed to tobacco smoke both during foetal life and childhood had thinner RNFL: -9.6 mu m (-13.4; -5.8 mu m, p < 0.001). Smoking during pregnancy was also associated with a macular thickness deficit: -4.7 mu m (-9.0; -0.4 mu m, p = 0.03). Higher indoor concentrations of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) was associated with thinner RNFL: -3.6 mu m (-5.6; -1.6 mu m, p < 0.001) and a macular deficit: -2.7 mu m (-5.3; -0.1 mu m, p = 0.04) in the crude analyses, but not in the adjusted analyses. No difference was found among participants who smoked at age 18 years compared with non-smokers on RNFL or macular thickness. ConclusionsWe found that exposure to smoking during early life was associated with a thinner RNFL and macula at age 18 years. The absence of an association between active smoking at 18 years suggests that the vulnerability of the optic nerve is highest during prenatal life and early childhood.

KW - alcohol

KW - asthma

KW - corticosteroids

KW - macular thickness

KW - optical coherence tomography

KW - PM2

KW - 5

KW - retinal nerve fibre layer

KW - smoking

KW - FIBER LAYER THICKNESS

KW - MATERNAL SMOKING

KW - CHILDREN

KW - PREGNANCY

KW - CHILDHOOD

KW - POLLUTION

KW - GLAUCOMA

KW - TOBACCO

KW - BRAIN

U2 - 10.1111/aos.15657

DO - 10.1111/aos.15657

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36899496

VL - 101

SP - 737

EP - 746

JO - Acta Ophthalmologica

JF - Acta Ophthalmologica

SN - 1755-375X

IS - 7

ER -