Oxidative stress markers, lung function and exposure to air pollutants in Mexican schoolchildren.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of exposure to air pollutants on increased levels of oxidative stress markers and decreased lung function in schoolchildren from Salamanca and Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. Methods: We included 149 asthmatic and 165 non-asthmatic schoolchildren. We measured conjugated dienes, Lipo-hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde, and Carbonylation of proteins by spectrophotometry and realized pulmonary function tests. Health information was obtained by questionnaire. The information of air pollutants (O3, SO2, CO, PM2.5 and PM10) was obtained from fixed stations located in both cities and we ran multiple linear regression models to evaluate the association. Results: The median age of children with asthma was 9 years and 9 and 9.5 in non-asthmatics. The average levels of oxidative stress markers were higher in Salamanca schoolchildren (p <0.05). The median of 24 hrs maximum of ozone and PM2.5 was 56.7 and 36.4 ppb and 58.7 and 70.0 ug/m3, of both cities respectively. We observed a negative effect of exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 on markers of oxidative stress for Salamanca’s asthmatic children and non-asthmatic children from Leon, Guanajuato (p <0.05) and a negative effect on lung function in non-asthmatic of both cities (p <0.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that exposure to air pollutants increase levels of oxidative stress markers and decreased lung function in children with and without asthma.