PS083 - Effect of OGG1 polymorphisms on DNA damage in Colombian children with asthma exposed to air pollutants: A baseline analysis of the PROMESA

Air pollution is a worldwide problem due to its impact on human health, and particulate matter (PM) emissions are one of the most relevant factors. Children are one of the most susceptible populations, due to their still-developing lungs, brain, immune system and their airways are much more permeable, which makes them more vulnerable to respiratory diseases This pollutant is a mixture of particles that are suspended in the air, and depending on their size, can penetrate different levels of the respiratory barrier. One of the most important is PM2.5, with a diameter less than 2.5 µm, that penetrates the gas-exchange region, passes through the respiratory barrier and enters the circulatory system. PM exposure, especially PM2.5, generates oxidative stress that can lead to different cellular dysfunctions. One of the main causes is the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, resulting in DNA damage. DNA repair mechanisms are one of the main methods to prevent mutagenesis and genomic instability Oxidative DNA damage is repaired by the Base Excision Repair (BER) pathway, that detects the DNA lesion and removes the oxidized nucleotide to be replaced; one of the enzymes that act in this mechanism is OGG1. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate DNA damage in children under five years old with and without asthma and the effect of OGG1 polymorphisms.