Abstract
Coarse particle matter, PMcoarse, is associated with increased respiratory morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between short-term changes in PMcoarse and sub-clininal airway inflammation in children. Healthy children aged 11 years from two northern Swedish elementary schools underwent fraction of exhaled nitrogen oxide (FENO) measurements to determine levels of airway inflammation twice weekly during the study period from 11 April–6 June 2011. Daily exposure to PMcoarse, PM2.5, NO2, NOx, NO and O3 and birch pollen was estimated. Multiple linear regression was used. Personal covariates were included as fixed effects and subjects were included as a random effect. In total, 95 children participated in the study, and in all 493 FENO measurements were made. The mean level of PMcoarse was 16.1 μg/m3 (range 4.1–42.3), and that of O3 was 75.0 μg/m3 (range: 51.3–106.3). That of NO2 was 17.0 μg/m3 (range: 4.7–31.3), NOx was 82.1 μg/m3 (range: 13.3–165.3), and NO was 65 μg/m3 (range: 8.7–138.4) during the study period. In multi-pollutant models an interquartile range increase in 24 h PMcoarse was associated with increases in FENO by between 6.9 ppb (95% confidence interval 0.0–14) and 7.3 ppb (95% confidence interval 0.4–14.9). PMcoarse was associated with an increase in FENO, indicating sub-clinical airway inflammation in healthy children.
Highlights
Studded tires wear the asphalt surface and contribute to particle matter (PM), the coarse fraction PMcoarse between 2.5–10 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5–10 )
973 fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) measurements were made on non-asthmatic children free of respiratory symptoms, five measurements per individual on average
Exposure to PMcoarse during the previous 24 h period was near statistical significance with an estimated relative change in FENO of 6.3 ppb per interquartile range (IQR) change in pollutant concentration (Table 4)
Summary
Studded tires wear the asphalt surface and contribute to particle matter (PM), the coarse fraction PMcoarse between 2.5–10 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5–10 ). Short-term exposure to PM attributed to mechanical wear has been associated with emergency room visits for asthma [1] and increased mortality [2]. Stronger effects of short-term exposure to coarse particles PM2.5–10 were found on respiratory outcomes as asthma admissions compared to other endpoints [3] and increased respiratory morbidity and mortality in relation to higher short-term. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signalling molecule produced by epithelial cells in the airways. In airway inflammation the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is increased [5]. Increased levels of FENO have been shown to predict new-onset asthma in children [6] and new-onset wheeze in adults [7]
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