Integration of gene expression and DNA methylation identifies epigenetically controlled modules related to PM2.5 exposure

•This genome-wide study investigated the association of gene expression with PM2.5.•Two differentially expressed transcripts were associated with PM2.5 exposure at birth.•Integration of gene expression and DNA methylation identified hubs linked to PM2.5.•Our study shows the added value of integrating environmental and multi-omics data. Air pollution has been associated with adverse health effects across the life-course. Although underlying mechanisms are unclear, several studies suggested pollutant-induced changes in transcriptomic profiles. In this meta-analysis of transcriptome-wide association studies of 656 children and adolescents from three European cohorts participating in the MeDALL Consortium, we found two differentially expressed transcript clusters (FDR p