Association between short-term exposure to ambient particulate air pollution and biomarkers of oxidative stress: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Exposure to ambient particulate air pollution contributes substantially to the mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Several hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed to explain these associations, particularly oxidative stress. Malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) are typical biomarkers of oxidative stress and have been frequently investigated. However, the association between exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and these biomarkers has not been well established. Objectives: Evaluate the association between ambient particulate air pollution and biomarkers of oxidative stress based on existing epidemiological studies. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus up to October 2019 to summarize epidemiological studies reporting the association between exposure to ambient PM (PM2.5, PM10, or both) and biomarkers of oxidative stress, and a meta-analysis was performed for the associations reported in individual studies using a random-effect model. Results: This meta-analysis included 18 epidemiological studies (12 identified for 8-OHdG, 6 identified for MDA and 4 identified for SOD). A pooled percent change in 8-OHdG, MDA and SOD associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in short-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 was 1.54% (95% CI: -0.78%, 3.88%), 2.31% (95% CI: 0.49%, 4.15%) and -0.85% (95% CI: -2.59%, 0.93%), respectively. Conclusion: Short-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 was associated with a significantly increased level of MDA, indicating that ambient particulate air pollution may contribute to increased oxidative stress.