Nasal lavage biomarkers in air pollution epidemiology.

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have shown associations between air pollution and respiratory health effects (reviewed in Bascom et al., 1996). Adverse health effects at current levels of exposures have been found for ozone, acid aerosols and particulate matter smaller than 10 μm (PM10). Effects of ozone include pulmonary function decrements, increased non-specific bronchial responsiveness and inflammatory responses (Graham and Koren, 1990; Jorens et al., 1992; Koren et al., 1989). Data based on health effects associated with acute exposure to urban particulate air pollution is rapidly growing by consistent data from epidemiological studies (Bascom et al., 1996). These data indicate that increases in daily mortality, hospitalisation, asthma exacerbation, respiratory symptoms and lung function decline are associated with ambient low levels of urban particulate air pollution measured as PM10 and lower. Possibly, air pollution induced inflammatory reactions and related inflammatory mediators are involved in altered lung function and may have implications for respiratory allergy. It is possible that ozone induces mild to moderate immune disorders by shifting vulnerable balances in the immune system, such as T help-1 and T help-2 subset ratios, resulting in altered resistance to respiratory tract infections or altering the expression of respiratory allergy. Epidemiological studies focused on inflammatory responses include the use of biomarkers.