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METAL COMPOSITION OF AMBIENT PM2.5 INFLUENCES SEVERITY OF ALLERGIC AIRWAYS DISEASE IN MICE
Citation:
Gavett, S H., N. H. HaykalCoates, L B. Copeland, J. Heinrich, AND M I. Gilmour. METAL COMPOSITION OF AMBIENT PM2.5 INFLUENCES SEVERITY OF ALLERGIC AIRWAYS DISEASE IN MICE. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, 111(12):1471-1477, (2003).
Description:
ABSTRACT
Children living in Hettstedt in eastern Germany were reported to have a higher prevalence of sensitization to common aeroallergens than another cohort living in the neighboring city of Zerbst; these differences correlated with the presence of industrial air pollution. Samples of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) collected in Hettstedt in 1999 had several-fold higher levels of zinc, magnesium, lead, copper, and cadmium than samples from Zerbst. In Balb/c mice, Hettstedt PM2.5, but not Zerbst PM2.5 or control filter extract, caused a significant increase in immediate responses to ovalbumin challenge when aspirated 2 hours prior to challenge, but not when aspirated immediately before sensitization 2 weeks earlier. Antigen-specific IgE was increased by Hettstedt PM2.5 whether administered prior to sensitization or challenge. Airway responsiveness to methacholine aerosol and lung inflammatory cell numbers were significantly increased only in allergic mice exposed to Hettstedt PM2.5 prior to challenge. Both Hettstedt and Zerbst PM2.5 significantly increased lung injury parameters and proinflammatory cytokines. These data show that exposure to PM2.5 near the time of allergen challenge is required to exacerbate allergic responses in mice. These results are consistent with epidemiological findings and show that metal composition of ambient PM influences the severity of allergic respiratory disease.