Exposure to environmental pollutants has been associated with cellular aging in children and adolescents. Individuals may vary, however, in their sensitivity or vulnerability to the effects of environmental pollutants. Larger hippocampal volume has emerged as a potential index of increased sensitivity to social contexts. In exploratory analyses (N = 214), we extend work in this area by providing evidence that larger hippocampal volume in early adolescence reflects increased sensitivity to the effect of neighborhood pollution burden on telomere length (standardized β = –0.40, 95% CI[–0.65, –0.15]). In contrast, smaller hippocampal volume appears to buffer this association (standardized β = 0.02). In youth with larger hippocampal volume, pollution burden was indirectly associated with shorter telomere length approximately 2 years later through shorter telomere length at baseline (indirect standardized β = –0.25, 95% CI[–0.40, 0.10]). For these youth, living in high or low pollution-burdened neighborhoods may predispose them to develop shorter or longer telomeres, respectively, later in adolescence.

中文翻译：

---

海马体积指数对污染负担对青少年端粒长度影响的神经生物学敏感性

接触环境污染物与儿童和青少年的细胞衰老有关。然而，个体对环境污染物影响的敏感性或脆弱性可能有所不同。较大的海马体积已成为对社会环境敏感性增加的潜在指标。在探索性分析（N  = 214）中，我们通过提供证据来扩展这一领域的工作，证明青春期早期较大的海马体积反映了对邻里污染负担对端粒长度影响的敏感性增加（标准化β = –0.40，95% CI [ – 0.65，–0.15]）。相反，较小的海马体积似乎可以缓冲这种关联（标准化β= 0.02）。在海马体积较大的青少年中，污染负担通过基线端粒长度较短而与大约 2 年后较短的端粒长度间接相关（间接标准化β = –0.25，95% CI[–0.40，0.10]）。对于这些年轻人来说，生活在污染负担高或低的社区可能会使他们在青春期后期分别形成较短或较长的端粒。