49 The Effect of Pesticide Exposure on Immunological Responses in Children against SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The objective is to assess the effect of pesticide exposure (individually and pesticide mixtures) on the immune response to COVID-19 in children. The goal is to improve scientific knowledge on factors affecting COVID-19 and identify a potentially modifiable factor to reduce disparities in COVID-19 morbidity. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Blood samples will be obtained from 50 children with asthma two time points; baseline and 12 months later. SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination will be determined with blood exposome RNA analyses.. Immunological response will be measured using neutralizing, phagocytizing, and NK-activating anti-body responses biomarkers. Pesticide exposure will be measured via urinary pesticide metabolites (UPMs). For individual metabolites multivariable analyses for each pesticide will be conducted using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models with compound symmetry correlation to account for the repeated measures design. To assess the pesticide mixture, weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) will be used. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The main hypothesis is that increased pesticide exposure results in a reduction in the immunological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, we anticipate that increasing concentrations of individual UPMs as well as the increasing index will result in reductions in markers of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the COVID-19 vaccine. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Exposure to pesticides is a modifiable environmental factor. If pesticides are found to alter the immune response to COVID-19 infection and vaccination, these data will provide an evidence base for efforts to reduce pesticide exposure in children.