Pollutants Enhance the Airway Response of Asthmatics to Inhaled Allergen: In Vivo and In Vitro Evidence

Abstract

Episodes of severe air pollution, particularly by acid aerosols and sulphur dioxide, resulting from excessive burning of coal during the first few decades of the twentieth century frequently resulted in substantial morbidity and mortality from respiratory disease [1–3]. Although this form of air pollution has gradually decreased since the late 1950s, due to the introduction of Clean Air Acts and a radical change in domestic heating methods [4], in recent years there has been a progressive increase in a new form of air pollution. This form of pollution results from increased use of liquid petroleum and gas in the transport and manufacturing industries and is characterised by high concentrations of atmospheric hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), ozone (O3), lead and respirable particulate matter (PM10) [5–7].