Seasonal impact of PM2.5 on pro-oncogenic drivers among participants of a thermal power plant in India

Molecular epidemiology targeting the impact of particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM_2.5) on pro-oncogenic signaling has been sparsely reported from the Indian industrial belt. This study investigated the effect of seasonal variation in PM_2.5 on pro-oncogenic drivers in the pulmonary and systemic cellular environments of a thermal power plant participants in West Bengal, India during 2021-2022. PM_2.5 levels were significantly higher during spring than monsoon, coinciding with reduced hemoglobin and lung function indices. Linear Mixed-Effects Regression (LMER) confirmed that elevated PM_2.5 exposure was significantly associated with increased inflammatory response, enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity, and upregulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) cascade, along with downregulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). These molecular alterations reflected enhanced proliferative and pro-angiogenic signaling and reduced apoptosis in the airway cells and the leukocytes. Collectively, the findings indicate that short-term seasonal surges in PM_2.5, may induce subclinical molecular perturbations that predispose exposed individuals in industrial areas to activation of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pro-oncogenic signaling.