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Vos S, De Waele E, Goeminne P, Bijnens EM, Bongaerts E, Martens DS, Malina R, Ameloot M, Dams K, De Weerdt A, Dewyspelaere G, Jacobs R, Mistiaen G, Jorens P, Nawrot TS. Pre-admission ambient air pollution and blood soot particles predict hospitalisation outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Eur Respir J 2023; 62:2300309. [PMID: 37343978 PMCID: PMC10288811 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00309-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure is one of the major risk factors for aggravation of respiratory diseases. We investigated whether exposure to air pollution and accumulated black carbon (BC) particles in blood were associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity, including the risk for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and duration of hospitalisation. METHODS From May 2020 until March 2021, 328 hospitalised COVID-19 patients (29% at intensive care) were recruited from two hospitals in Belgium. Daily exposure levels (from 2016 to 2019) for particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm and <10 µm (PM2.5 and PM10, respectively), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and BC were modelled using a high-resolution spatiotemporal model. Blood BC particles (internal exposure to nano-sized particles) were quantified using pulsed laser illumination. Primary clinical parameters and outcomes included duration of hospitalisation and risk of ICU admission. RESULTS Independent of potential confounders, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure in the week before admission was associated with increased duration of hospitalisation (PM2.5 +4.13 (95% CI 0.74-7.53) days, PM10 +4.04 (95% CI 1.24-6.83) days and NO2 +4.54 (95% CI 1.53-7.54) days); similar effects were observed for long-term NO2 and BC exposure on hospitalisation duration. These effect sizes for an IQR increase in air pollution on hospitalisation duration were equivalent to the effect of a 10-year increase in age on hospitalisation duration. Furthermore, for an IQR higher blood BC load, the OR for ICU admission was 1.33 (95% CI 1.07-1.65). CONCLUSIONS In hospitalised COVID-19 patients, higher pre-admission ambient air pollution and blood BC levels predicted adverse outcomes. Our findings imply that air pollution exposure influences COVID-19 severity and therefore the burden on medical care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn Vos
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- S. Vos and E. De Waele contributed equally
| | - Elien De Waele
- Hospital VITAZ Sint-Niklaas, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
- S. Vos and E. De Waele contributed equally
| | | | - Esmée M Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Bongaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Robert Malina
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Marcel Ameloot
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Karolien Dams
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | - Annick De Weerdt
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | | | - Rita Jacobs
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | | | - Philippe Jorens
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Wei T, Chen C, Yang Y, Li L, Wang J, Ye M, Kan H, Yang D, Song Y, Cai J, Hou D. Associations between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and lung function in adults. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00550-0. [PMID: 37179406 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00550-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence of the acute effects of high-level air pollution on small airway function and systemic inflammation in adults is scarce. OBJECTIVE To examined the associations of short-term (i.e., daily) exposure to multiple air pollutants with lung function and inflammatory markers. METHODS We assessed short-term (daily) effects of air pollutants, including particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and 10 μm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), on lung function and peripheral immune cell counts over various lag times using generalized linear regression models. RESULTS A total of 4764 adults were included from the general community-dwelling population in Shanghai, China. Exposure to air pollutants and lung function were negatively correlated. Decline in FEF between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75%) were found associated with PM2.5, SO2, and CO, and decline in forced expiratory volume in 3 s (FEV3) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio were associated with all examined pollutants, indicating obstruction in small airways. Obstructed airflow in large and middle airways as indicated by decline in FEV1/FVC were also associated with all pollutants. In subgroup analysis, significant negative associations between the five pollutants and SAD parameters were found only in males but not in females. The difference in the associations of SO2 with FEF75% between males and females achieved statistical significance. Additionally, all examined pollutants were significantly associated with lower peripheral neutrophil count. IMPACT STATEMENT Acute exposure to air pollutants were associated with airflow-limitation. Both small airways and proximal airways were affected. Acute exposure to air pollutants were accompanied with a lower neutrophil count.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Cuicui Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yanjie Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Maosong Ye
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuanlin Song
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- National and Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Jing Cai
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Typhoon Institute/CMA, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai, China.
| | - Dongni Hou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Edwards L, Wilkinson P, Rutter G, Milojevic A. Health effects in people relocating between environments of differing ambient air pollution concentrations: A literature review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 292:118314. [PMID: 34653586 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
People who relocate to a new environment may experience health effects from a change in ambient air pollution. We undertook a literature review of studies of such relocations and health effects and report the results as a narrative analysis. Fifteen articles of heterogeneous designs met the inclusion criteria. Four short-term (relocation duration less than six months) and three long-term (relocation duration six months or greater) studies reported evidence of the effect of relocation on physiological outcome, biomarkers or symptoms. All had potential weaknesses of design or analysis but, as a whole, their results are broadly consistent in suggesting short-term adverse effects of air pollutants or their reversibility. One long-term study provided evidence that changes in air pollution exposure during adolescence have a measurable effect on lung function growth. Four cohort studies were also identified that used relocation to strengthen evidence of air-pollution-exposure relationships by using a design that incorporates effective randomization of exposure or the use of relocation to improve exposure classification. However, three studies of relocation during pregnancy provided limited evidence to conclude an effect of relocation-related change in exposure on pregnancy outcome. Overall, most relocation studies are consistent with short- or long-term adverse effects of air pollution on biological function or mortality, but many studies of change in exposure have design weaknesses that limit the robustness of interpretation. We outline principles for improved design and analysis to help strengthen future studies for the insights they can provide from their quasi-experimental designs, including on the nature and timing of functional changes of relocation-related changes in exposure to ambient air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Edwards
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England, United Kingdom.
| | - Paul Wilkinson
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ai Milojevic
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England, United Kingdom
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Wooding DJ, Ryu MH, Li H, Alexis NE, Pena O, Carlsten C. Acute air pollution exposure alters neutrophils in never-smokers and at-risk humans. Eur Respir J 2020; 55:13993003.01495-2019. [PMID: 31806722 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01495-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Outdoor air pollution exposure increases chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalisations, and may contribute to COPD development. The mechanisms of harm, and the extent to which at-risk populations are more susceptible are not fully understood. Neutrophils are recruited to the lung following diesel exhaust exposure, a model of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), but their functional role in this response is unknown. The purpose of this controlled human-exposure crossover study was to assess the effects of acute diesel exhaust exposure on neutrophil function in never-smokers and at-risk populations, with support from additional in vitro studies.18 participants, including never-smokers (n=7), ex-smokers (n=4) and mild-moderate COPD patients (n=7), were exposed to diesel exhaust and filtered air for 2 h on separate occasions, and neutrophil function in blood (0 h and 24 h post-exposure) and bronchoalveolar lavage (24 h post-exposure) was assessed.Compared to filtered air, diesel exhaust exposure reduced the proportion of circulating band cells at 0 h, which was exaggerated in COPD patients. Diesel exhaust exposure increased the amount of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the lung across participants. COPD patients had increased peripheral neutrophil activation following diesel exhaust exposure. In vitro, suspended diesel exhaust particles increased the amount of NETs measured in isolated neutrophils. We propose NET formation as a possible mechanism through which TRAP exposure affects airway pathophysiology. In addition, COPD patients may be more prone to an activated inflammatory state following exposure.This is the first controlled human TRAP exposure study directly comparing at-risk phenotypes (COPD and ex-smokers) with lower-risk (never-smokers) participants, elucidating the human susceptibility spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise J Wooding
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Min Hyung Ryu
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hang Li
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Dept of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Neil E Alexis
- UNC Center for Environmental Medicine Asthma and Lung Biology, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Olga Pena
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chris Carlsten
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Abstract
It is well known that particulate matter suspended in the earth's atmosphere generated by tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust, industrial processes, and forest fires has been identified as a major risk factor for chronic lung disease. Particulate matter can be divided into large, intermediate, and fine particulates. When inhaled, large particulates develop sufficient momentum to leave the flowing stream of inhaled air and deposit by impaction in the nose, mouth, nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, and central bronchi. Intermediate-sized particulates that develop less momentum deposit in the smaller bronchi and larger bronchioles, and the finest particulates that develop the least momentum make it to the distal gas-exchanging tissue, where gas moves solely by diffusion. On the basis of Einstein's classic work on Brownian motion that showed particles suspended in a gas diffuse much more slowly than the gas in which they are suspended, we postulate that the small airways that accommodate the shift from bulk airflow to diffusion become the major site for deposition of fine particles, resulting in a host immune response. Much remains to be learned about the interaction between the deposition of fine particulates and the host immune and tissue responses; the purpose of this review is to examine the hypothesis that the smallest conducting airways and proximal gas-exchanging tissue are the primary sites for the deposition of the finest particulates inhaled into the lungs.
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Hogg JC, Paré PD, Hackett TL. The Contribution of Small Airway Obstruction to the Pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Physiol Rev 2017; 97:529-552. [PMID: 28151425 PMCID: PMC6151481 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00025.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis that the small conducting airways were the major site of obstruction to airflow in normal lungs was introduced by Rohrer in 1915 and prevailed until Weibel introduced a quantitative method of studying lung anatomy in 1963. Green repeated Rohrer's calculations using Weibels new data in 1965 and found that the smaller conducting airways offered very little resistance to airflow. This conflict was resolved by seminal experiments conducted by Macklem and Mead in 1967, which confirmed that a small proportion of the total lower airways resistance is attributable to small airways <2 mm in diameter. Shortly thereafter, Hogg, Macklem, and Thurlbeck used this technique to show that small airways become the major site of obstruction in lungs affected by emphysema. These and other observations led Mead to write a seminal editorial in 1970 that postulated the small airways are a silent zone within normal lungs where disease can accumulate over many years without being noticed. This review provides a progress report since the 1970s on methods for detecting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the structural nature of small airways' disease, and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are thought to underlie its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Hogg
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia (UBC), British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC, British Columbia, Canada; Respiratory Division, Department of Medicine, UBC, British Columbia, Canada; and Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UBC, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter D Paré
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia (UBC), British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC, British Columbia, Canada; Respiratory Division, Department of Medicine, UBC, British Columbia, Canada; and Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UBC, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tillie-Louise Hackett
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia (UBC), British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC, British Columbia, Canada; Respiratory Division, Department of Medicine, UBC, British Columbia, Canada; and Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UBC, British Columbia, Canada
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7
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Berend N. Contribution of air pollution to COPD and small airway dysfunction. Respirology 2015; 21:237-44. [PMID: 26412571 DOI: 10.1111/resp.12644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although in many Western countries levels of ambient air pollution have been improving with the setting of upper limits and better urban planning, air pollution in developing countries and particularly those with rapid industrialization has become a major global problem. Together with increased motor vehicle ownership and traffic congestion, there is a growing issue with airborne particles of respirable size. These particles are thought responsible for respiratory and cardiovascular effects and have also been implicated in cancer pathogenesis. The pathologic effects in the lung are mediated via inflammatory pathways and involve oxidative stress similar to cigarette smoking. These effects are seen in the peripheral airways where the smaller particle fractions are deposited and lead to airway remodelling. However, emphysema and loss of bronchioles seen with cigarette smoking have not been described with ambient air pollution, and there are few studies specifically looking at peripheral airway function. Definitive evidence of air pollution causing COPD is lacking and a different study design is required to link air pollution and COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Berend
- The George Institute for Global Health, Woolcock Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Kajbafzadeh M, Brauer M, Karlen B, Carlsten C, van Eeden S, Allen RW. The impacts of traffic-related and woodsmoke particulate matter on measures of cardiovascular health: a HEPA filter intervention study. Occup Environ Med 2015; 72:394-400. [PMID: 25896330 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Combustion-generated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with cardiovascular morbidity. Both traffic-related air pollution and residential wood combustion may be important, but few studies have compared their impacts. OBJECTIVES To assess and compare effects of traffic-related and woodsmoke PM2.5 on endothelial function and systemic inflammation (C reactive protein, interleukin-6 and band cells) among healthy adults in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, using high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration to introduce indoor PM2.5 exposure gradients. METHODS We recruited 83 healthy adults from 44 homes in traffic-impacted or woodsmoke-impacted areas to participate in this randomised, single-blind cross-over intervention study. PM2.5 concentrations were measured during two consecutive 7-day periods, one with filtration and the other with 'placebo filtration'. Endothelial function and biomarkers of systematic inflammation were measured at the end of each 7-day period. RESULTS HEPA filtration was associated with a 40% decrease in indoor PM2.5 concentrations. There was no relationship between PM2.5 exposure and endothelial function. There was evidence of an association between indoor PM2.5 and C reactive protein among those in traffic-impacted locations (42.1% increase in C reactive protein per IQR increase in indoor PM2.5, 95% CI 1.2% to 99.5%), but not among those in woodsmoke-impacted locations. There were no associations with interleukin-6 or band cells. CONCLUSIONS Evidence of an association between C reactive protein and indoor PM2.5 among healthy adults in traffic-impacted areas is consistent with the hypothesis that traffic-related particles, even at relatively low concentrations, play an important role in the cardiovascular effects of the urban PM mixture. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01570062).
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Kajbafzadeh
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Barbara Karlen
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris Carlsten
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephan van Eeden
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ryan W Allen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Horiuchi M, Kanesada H, Miyata T, Watanabe K, Nishimura A, Kokubo T, Kirisako T. Ornithine ingestion improved sleep disturbances but was not associated with correction of blood tryptophan ratio in Japanese Antarctica expedition members during summer. Nutr Res 2013; 33:557-64. [PMID: 23827130 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Members of expeditions to Antarctica may show changes in biological and physiological parameters involved in lipid, glucose, and thyroid hormone metabolism as they adapt to the environment; however, alterations in amino acid (AA) levels and sleep among expedition members in Antarctica have yet to be fully elucidated. We hypothesized that there would be alterations of blood AA levels, and ornithine (Orn) ingestion would affect biological parameters and sleep in Japanese expedition members during the summer in Antarctica. Japanese Antarctica Research Expedition members (22 people) who stayed in Antarctica for 3 months from December 2010 were examined, and a randomized double-blind study of Orn ingestion (400 mg/d) for 4 weeks was performed. Sleep conditions were evaluated subjectively by the Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi (brief version) questionnaire. The blood of Japanese Antarctica Research Expedition members in Antarctica showed higher creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and ammonia levels than that in Japan. On blood AA analysis, aspartate, Orn, and serine were significantly higher, and alanine and tryptophan (Trp) were significantly lower in Antarctica than in Japan. The Trp ratio, the value of Trp divided by the sum of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and branched-chain AAs, was significantly lower in Antarctica than in Japan. Although sleep deteriorated during the stay in Antarctica, Orn ingestion, to some extent, improved sleep compared with the placebo group in Antarctica, suggesting that Orn is effective for people with heavy physical workloads in places such as Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahisa Horiuchi
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
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Jacobs L, Emmerechts J, Mathieu C, Hoylaerts MF, Fierens F, Hoet PH, Nemery B, Nawrot TS. Air pollution related prothrombotic changes in persons with diabetes. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2010; 118:191-6. [PMID: 20123602 PMCID: PMC2831916 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0900942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2009] [Accepted: 10/22/2009] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Population studies suggest that persons with diabetes are more sensitive to the effects of particulate matter (PM) air pollution. However, the biological mechanisms of a possible prothrombotic effect underlying this enhanced susceptibility remain largely unknown. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that exposure to PM causes prothrombotic changes in persons with diabetes, possibly via systemic inflammation. METHODS Our study included 137 nonsmoking adults with diabetes who were outpatients at the University Hospital Leuven. Recent exposure (2 hr before examination) to ambient PM was measured at the entrance of the hospital. Individual chronic exposure to PM was assessed by measuring the area occupied by carbon in airway macrophages obtained by sputum induction. Platelet function was measured ex vivo with the PFA-100 platelet function analyzer, which simulates a damaged blood vessel; we analyzed the function of platelets in primary hemostasis under high shear conditions. Total and differential blood leukocytes were counted. RESULTS Independent of antiplatelet medication, an interquartile range (IQR) increase of 39.2 microg/m3 in PM10 (PM with aerodynamic diameter <or= 10 microm) concentration measured 2 hr before the clinical examination (recent exposure) was associated with a decrease of 21.1 sec [95% confidence interval (CI), 35.3 to 6.8] in the PFA-100 closure time (i.e., increased platelet activation) and an increase in blood leukocytes of 512 per microliter of blood (95% CI, 45.2979). Each area increase of 0.25 microm2 (IQR) in carbon load of airway macrophages (chronic exposure) was associated with an increase of 687 leukocytes per microliter of blood (95% CI, 2241,150). CONCLUSIONS A relevant increase in recent PM exposure was associated with a change in platelet function toward a greater prothrombotic tendency. The magnitude of the change was about two-thirds (in the opposite direction) of the average effect of antiplatelet medication. Diabetic patients showed evidence of proinflammatory response to both recent and chronic exposure to PM air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Jacobs
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Unit of Lung Toxicology
| | | | - Chantal Mathieu
- Department of Endocrinology, Katholique Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Frans Fierens
- Belgian interregional Environment Agency, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter H. Hoet
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Unit of Lung Toxicology
| | - Benoit Nemery
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Unit of Lung Toxicology
- Address correspondence to B. Nemery, K.U. Leuven, Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Pneumology, Unit of Lung Toxicology, Herestraat 49 (O&N 706), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Telephone: 32-16-347121. Fax: 32-16-347124. E-mail:
| | - Tim S. Nawrot
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Unit of Lung Toxicology
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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Huang YCT, Ghio AJ. Controlled human exposures to ambient pollutant particles in susceptible populations. Environ Health 2009; 8:33. [PMID: 19630984 PMCID: PMC2728708 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-8-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Accepted: 07/25/2009] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies have established an association between exposures to air pollution particles and human mortality and morbidity at concentrations of particles currently found in major metropolitan areas. The adverse effects of pollution particles are most prominent in susceptible subjects, including the elderly and patients with cardiopulmonary diseases. Controlled human exposure studies have been used to confirm the causal relationship between pollution particle exposure and adverse health effects. Earlier studies enrolled mostly young healthy subjects and have largely confirmed the capability of particles to cause adverse health effects shown in epidemiological studies. In the last few years, more studies involving susceptible populations have been published. These recent studies in susceptible populations, however, have shown that the adverse responses to particles appear diminished in these susceptible subjects compared to those in healthy subjects. The present paper reviewed and compared control human exposure studies to particles and sought to explain the "unexpected" response to particle exposure in these susceptible populations and make recommendations for future studies. We found that the causes for the discrepant results are likely multifactorial. Factors such as medications, the disease itself, genetic susceptibility, subject selection bias that is intrinsic to many controlled exposure studies and nonspecificity of study endpoints may explain part of the results. Future controlled exposure studies should select endpoints that are more closely related to the pathogenesis of the disease and reflect the severity of particle-induced health effects in the specific populations under investigation. Future studies should also attempt to control for medications and genetic susceptibility. Using a different study design, such as exposing subjects to filtered air and ambient levels of particles, and assessing the improvement in biological endpoints during filtered air exposure, may allow the inclusion of higher risk patients who are likely the main contributors to the increased particle-induced health effects in epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuh-Chin T Huang
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew J Ghio
- Human Studies Division, National Health Effects Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Hogg JC, Timens W. The Pathology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2009; 4:435-59. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev.pathol.4.110807.092145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 465] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James C. Hogg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia and iCapture Center, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1Y6, Canada;
| | - Wim Timens
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands;
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14
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Abstract
Lung function is an important measure of respiratory health and a predictor of cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. Over the past 2 decades, more than 50 publications have investigated long-term effects of ambient air pollution on lung function with most finding adverse effects. Several studies have also suggested effects from traffic-related air pollution. There is strong support for air pollution effects on the development of lung function in children and adolescents. It remains unclear whether subjects with slower development of lung function compensate by prolonging the growth phase, or whether they end their development at a lower plateau, thus entering the decline phase with a reduced lung function. In adults, the evidence for long-term air pollution effects is mostly based on cross-sectional comparisons. One recent longitudinal study observed that decreasing pollution attenuated the decline of lung function in adults. Earlier inconclusive cohort studies were based on limited data. There is great diversity in study designs, markers of air pollution, approaches to the measurement of exposure, and choices in lung function measures. These limit the comparability of studies and impede quantitative summaries. New studies should use individual-level exposure assessment to clarify the role of traffic and to preclude potential community-level confounding. Further research is needed on the relevance of specific pollution sources, particularly with regard to susceptible populations and relevant exposure periods throughout life.
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15
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Abstract
Air pollution is a heterogeneous mixture of gases, liquids and PM (particulate matter). In the modern urban world, PM is principally derived from fossil fuel combustion with individual constituents varying in size from a few nanometres to 10 μm in diameter. In addition to the ambient concentration, the pollution source and chemical composition may play roles in determining the biological toxicity and subsequent health effects. Nevertheless, studies from across the world have consistently shown that both short- and long-term exposures to PM are associated with a host of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial ischaemia and infarctions, heart failure, arrhythmias, strokes and increased cardiovascular mortality. Evidence from cellular/toxicological experiments, controlled animal and human exposures and human panel studies have demonstrated several mechanisms by which particle exposure may both trigger acute events as well as prompt the chronic development of cardiovascular diseases. PM inhaled into the pulmonary tree may instigate remote cardiovascular health effects via three general pathways: instigation of systemic inflammation and/or oxidative stress, alterations in autonomic balance, and potentially by direct actions upon the vasculature of particle constituents capable of reaching the systemic circulation. In turn, these responses have been shown to trigger acute arterial vasoconstriction, endothelial dysfunction, arrhythmias and pro-coagulant/thrombotic actions. Finally, long-term exposure has been shown to enhance the chronic genesis of atherosclerosis. Although the risk to one individual at any single time point is small, given the prodigious number of people continuously exposed, PM air pollution imparts a tremendous burden to the global public health, ranking it as the 13th leading cause of morality (approx. 800000 annual deaths).
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16
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Cozzi E, Wingard CJ, Cascio WE, Devlin RB, Miles JJ, Bofferding AR, Lust RM, Van Scott MR, Henriksen RA. Effect of ambient particulate matter exposure on hemostasis. Transl Res 2007; 149:324-32. [PMID: 17543851 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2006.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2006] [Revised: 12/08/2006] [Accepted: 12/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have linked levels of particulate matter (PM) in ambient air to cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations for myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Thrombus formation plays a primary role in potentiating acute cardiovascular events, and this study was undertaken to determine whether pulmonary exposure to PM alters hemostasis. PM was collected from the Chapel Hill, NC airshed and was administered to mice by intratracheal instillation at a dose previously shown to exacerbate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Twenty-four hours after exposure, an increase occurred in the number of circulating platelets and plasma concentrations of fibrinogen and soluble P-selectin. The concentration of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in plasma was decreased, whereas the plasma concentration of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) was increased. Consistent with these observations, bleeding time from a tail-tip transection was shortened. These results provide evidence that PM exposure alters hemostasis in otherwise healthy animals and may thereby promote clot formation and impede clot resolution in susceptible individuals. The results also establish definite hemostatic endpoints that can be used to further investigate the effects of dose and particle characteristics on the toxicity of ambient particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Cozzi
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
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17
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Bai N, Khazaei M, van Eeden SF, Laher I. The pharmacology of particulate matter air pollution-induced cardiovascular dysfunction. Pharmacol Ther 2006; 113:16-29. [PMID: 16920197 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2006.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2006] [Accepted: 06/14/2006] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Since the London fog of 1952, in which more than 4000 people were killed in 4 days, the combined efforts of scientists from several disciplines, including those from the environmental health, clinical and biomedical disciplines, have raised serious concerns about the impact of air pollutants on human health. These environmental pollutants are rapidly being recognized as important and independent risk factors for several diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and stroke. Although the relative effects of particulate matter air pollution (aerodynamic diameter <10 microm, or PM(10)) are greater for respiratory than for cardiovascular deaths, the number of deaths attributable to PM(10) is much larger for cardiovascular than for respiratory reasons due to the higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the general population. This review summarizes current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the associations between PM(10) exposure and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Bai
- University of British Columbia, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, 2176 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
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