US EPA

156254 

Journal Article 

Air pollution, airway inflammation, and lung function in a cohort study of Mexico City schoolchildren 

Barraza-Villarreal, A; Sunyer, J; Hernandez-Cadena, L; Escamilla-Nuñez, MC; Sienra-Monge, JJ; Ramírez-Aguilar, M; Cortez-Lugo, M; Holguin, F; Diaz-Sánchez, D; Olin, AC; Romieu, I 

2008 

Yes 

Environmental Health Perspectives
ISSN: 0091-6765
EISSN: 1552-9924 

116 

6 

832-838 

English 

18560490 

10.1289/ehp.10926 

WOS:000256254100039 

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.10926
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Background: The biological mechanisms involved in inflammatory response to air pollution are not clearly understood.

Objective: In this study we assessed the association of short-term air pollutant exposure with inflammatory markers and lung function.

Methods: We studied a cohort of 158 asthmatic and 50 nonasthmatic school-age children, followed an average of 22 weeks. We conducted spirometric tests, measurements of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), interleukin-8 (IL-8) in nasal lavage, and pH of exhaled breath condensate every 15 days during follow-up. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

Results: An increase of 17.5 μg/m3 in the 8-hr moving average of PM2.5 levels (interquartile range) was associated with a 1.08-ppb increase in FeNO [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–1.16] and a 1.07-pg/mL increase in IL-8 (95% CI 0.98–1.19) in asthmatic children and a 1.16 pg/ml increase in IL-8 (95% CI, 1.00–1.36) in nonasthmatic children. The 5-day accumulated average of exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diamter (PM2.5) was significantly inversely associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) (p = 0.048) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (p = 0.012) in asthmatic children and with FVC (p = 0.021) in nonasthmatic children. FeNO and FEV1 were inversely associated (p = 0.005) in asthmatic children.

Conclusions: Exposure to PM2.5 resulted in acute airway inflammation and decrease in lung function in both asthmatic and nonasthmatic children. 

air pollution; airway inflammation; asthma; epidemiology; lung function; schoolchildren