scholarly journals Ambient Air Pollution Increases the Risk of Cerebrovascular and Neuropsychiatric Disorders through Induction of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 4306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Hahad ◽  
Jos Lelieveld ◽  
Frank Birklein ◽  
Klaus Lieb ◽  
Andreas Daiber ◽  
...  

Exposure to ambient air pollution is a well-established determinant of health and disease. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health concludes that air pollution is the leading environmental cause of global disease and premature death. Indeed, there is a growing body of evidence that links air pollution not only to adverse cardiorespiratory effects but also to increased risk of cerebrovascular and neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite being a relatively new area of investigation, overall, there is mounting recent evidence showing that exposure to multiple air pollutants, in particular to fine particles, may affect the central nervous system (CNS) and brain health, thereby contributing to increased risk of stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive dysfunction, neurodevelopmental disorders, depression and other related conditions. The underlying molecular mechanisms of susceptibility and disease remain largely elusive. However, emerging evidence suggests inflammation and oxidative stress to be crucial factors in the pathogenesis of air pollution-induced disorders, driven by the enhanced production of proinflammatory mediators and reactive oxygen species in response to exposure to various air pollutants. From a public health perspective, mitigation measures are urgent to reduce the burden of disease and premature mortality from ambient air pollution.

Author(s):  
Qiwei Yu ◽  
Liqiang Zhang ◽  
Kun Hou ◽  
Jingwen Li ◽  
Suhong Liu ◽  
...  

Exposure to air pollution has been suggested to be associated with an increased risk of women’s health disorders. However, it remains unknown to what extent changes in ambient air pollution affect gynecological cancer. In our case–control study, the logistic regression model was combined with the restricted cubic spline to examine the association of short-term exposure to air pollution with gynecological cancer events using the clinical data of 35,989 women in Beijing from December 2008 to December 2017. We assessed the women’s exposure to air pollutants using the monitor located nearest to each woman’s residence and working places, adjusting for age, occupation, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were examined to evaluate gynecologic cancer risk in six time windows (Phase 1–Phase 6) of women’s exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5, CO, O3, and SO2) and the highest ORs were found in Phase 4 (240 days). Then, the higher adjusted ORs were found associated with the increased concentrations of each pollutant (PM2.5, CO, O3, and SO2) in Phase 4. For instance, the adjusted OR of gynecological cancer risk for a 1.0-mg m−3 increase in CO exposures was 1.010 (95% CI: 0.881–1.139) below 0.8 mg m−3, 1.032 (95% CI: 0.871–1.194) at 0.8–1.0 mg m−3, 1.059 (95% CI: 0.973–1.145) at 1.0–1.4 mg m−3, and 1.120 (95% CI: 0.993–1.246) above 1.4 mg m−3. The ORs calculated in different air pollution levels accessed us to identify the nonlinear association between women’s exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5, CO, O3, and SO2) and the gynecological cancer risk. This study supports that the gynecologic risks associated with air pollution should be considered in improved public health preventive measures and policymaking to minimize the dangerous effects of air pollution.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
You-Jung Choi ◽  
Sun-Hwa Kim ◽  
Si-Hyuck Kang ◽  
Sun-Young Kim ◽  
Ok-Jin Kim ◽  
...  

AbstractElevated blood pressure (BP) has been proposed as a possible pathophysiological mechanism linking exposure to ambient air pollution and the increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In this study, we investigated the hourly relationship between ambient air pollutants and BP. BP measurements were extracted from the electronic health record database of the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from February 2015 to June 2017. A total of 98,577 individual BP measurements were matched to the hourly levels of air pollutants. A generalized additive model was constructed for hour lags of 0–8 of air pollutants adjusting for age, sex, meteorological variables, and time trend. Systolic BP was shown to be significantly lower at 2–4 hours and 3–5 hours after increased levels of SO2 and CO, respectively (0.24 mmHg and 0.26 mmHg for an interquartile range, respectively). In contrast, O3 and NO2 were associated with significantly increased systolic BP at 3–5 lag hours and at 0–2 lag hours, respectively. BP elevation in association with O3 and NO2 was shown to be significantly greater in hypertensive patients than normotensive subjects. Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to air pollution may be associated with elevated BP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 964-976
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Ehsanifar ◽  
Banihashemian SS ◽  
Masoud Ehsanifar

Urban air pollutants exposure is known as a source of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress that causes the Central Nervous System (CNS) and neuropathology disease. Transition metals, Particulate Matter (PM), including PM 2.5 (PM <2.5 μm) and PM 0.1 (PM <0.1μm), nitrogen oxides and ozone are of potent or oxidant capable of producing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Redox-sensitive pathways can be caused by oxidative stress, leading to various biological processes, including inflammation and cell death. The incidence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) and stroke are associated with exposure to air pollution. Some recent findings suggest that urban air pollutants reach the brain in addition to pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and affect the CNS health too. While the underlying CNS pathology mechanisms induced air pollutants exposure are not well understood, recent studies show that changes in Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) and microglial activation are key components. In this work, we reviewed the new evidence of the mechanisms by which ambient air pollution reach the brain and activate innate immune response as a source of oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory factors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Kim ◽  
Seung-Ah Choe ◽  
Ok-Jin Kim ◽  
Sun-Young Kim ◽  
Seulgi Kim ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundMounting evidence implicates an association between ambient air pollution and impaired reproductive potential of human. Our study aimed to assess the association between air pollution and ovarian reserve in young, infertile women.MethodsOur study included 2276 Korean women who attended a single fertility center in 2016–2018. Women’s exposure to air pollution was assessed using concentrations of particulate matter (PM10and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3) that had been collected at 269 air quality monitoring sites. Exposure estimates were computed for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months prior to the ovarian reserve tests. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) ratio (defined as an observed-to-expected AMH based on age) and low AMH (defined as < 0.5 ng/mL) were employed as indicators of ovarian reserve. We included a clustering effect of 177 districts in generalized estimating equations approach. A secondary analysis was conducted restricting the analyses to Seoul residents to examine the association in highly urbanized setting.ResultsThe mean age was 36.6 ± 4.2 years and AMH level was 3.3 ± 3.1 ng/mL in the study population. Average AMH ratio was 0.8 ± 0.7 and low AMH was observed in 10.3% of women (n=235). The average concentration of six air pollutants was not different between the normal ovarian reserve and low AMH groups for all averaging periods. In multivariable models, an interquartile range (IQR)-increase in 1 month-average PM10was associated with decrease in AMH ratio among total population (β= −0.06, 95% confidence interval: −0.11, 0.00). When we restrict our analysis to those living in Seoul, IQR-increases in 1 and 12 month-average PM2.5were associated with 3% (95% CI: −0.07, 0.00) and 10% (95% CI: −0.18, −0.01) decrease in AMH ratio. The ORs per IQR increase in the six air pollutants were close to null in total population and Seoul residents.ConclusionsIn a cohort of infertile Korean women, there was a suggestive evidence of the negative association between ambient PM concentration and ovarian reserve, highlighting the potential adverse impact of air pollution on women’s fertility.


Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 338
Author(s):  
Karin Engström ◽  
Yumjirmaa Mandakh ◽  
Lana Garmire ◽  
Zahra Masoumi ◽  
Christina Isaxon ◽  
...  

Exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). Some suggested mechanisms behind this association are changes in placental DNA methylation and gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify how early pregnancy exposure to ambient nitrogen oxides (NOx) among PE cases and normotensive controls influence DNA methylation (EPIC array) and gene expression (RNA-seq). The study included placentas from 111 women (29 PE cases/82 controls) in Scania, Sweden. First-trimester NOx exposure was assessed at the participants’ residence using a dispersion model and categorized via median split into high or low NOx. Placental gestational epigenetic age was derived from the DNA methylation data. We identified six differentially methylated positions (DMPs, q < 0.05) comparing controls with low NOx vs. cases with high NOx and 14 DMPs comparing cases and controls with high NOx. Placentas with female fetuses showed more DMPs (N = 309) than male-derived placentas (N = 1). Placentas from PE cases with high NOx demonstrated gestational age deceleration compared to controls with low NOx (p = 0.034). No differentially expressed genes (DEGs, q < 0.05) were found. In conclusion, early pregnancy exposure to NOx affected placental DNA methylation in PE, resulting in placental immaturity and showing sexual dimorphism.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaqi Liu ◽  
Yi Jiang ◽  
Manyi Wu ◽  
Sunghar Muheyat ◽  
Dongai Yao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There are few studies focused on the correlations between ambient air pollution and abdominal pain, especially in emergency departments in China. Method: Daily data (from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018), including air pollution concentration (SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, CO, and O3) and meteorological variables, for daily emergency room visits (ERVs) were collected in Wuhan, China. We conducted a time-series study to investigate the potential correlation between six ambient air pollutants and ERVs for abdominal pain and their effects, in different genders, ages and seasons. Results A total of 16,306 abdominal pain ERVs were identified during the study period. A 10-µg/m3 increase in concentration of SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, CO, and O3 corresponded respectively to incremental increases in abdominal pain of 6.12% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.44-13.12), 1.65% (95%CI: -0.25-3.59), 1.12% (95%CI: -0.18-2.44), 0.38% (95%CI: -1.09-1.87), 9.87% (95%CI:3.14–17.05) and 1.11% (95%CI: 0.03–2.21). We observed significant correlations between CO and O3 and daily abdominal pain ERVs increase, and positive but insignificant correlations between the other pollutants and ERVs. The effects were stronger mainly for females (especially SO2 and O3) and younger people (especially CO and O3). The correlations of PM2.5 and PM10 were stronger in cool seasons, while the correlation of CO was stronger in warm seasons. Conclusion Our time-series study suggested that short-term exposure to air pollution (especially CO and O3) was positively correlated with ERVs for abdominal pain in Wuhan, China, and that their effects varied by season, gender and age. These data can add evidence on how air pollutants affect the human body, and may prompt hospitals to take specific precautions on polluted days and maintain order in emergency departments made busier due to the pollution.


Author(s):  
Lisha Luo ◽  
Yunquan Zhang ◽  
Junfeng Jiang ◽  
Hanghang Luan ◽  
Chuanhua Yu ◽  
...  

In this study, we estimated the short-term effects of ambient air pollution on respiratory disease hospitalization in Taiyuan, China. Daily data of respiratory disease hospitalization, daily concentration of ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2017 in Taiyuan were included in our study. We conducted a time-series study design and applied a generalized additive model to evaluate the association between every 10-μg/m3 increment of air pollutants and percent increase of respiratory disease hospitalization. A total of 127,565 respiratory disease hospitalization cases were included in this study during the present period. In single-pollutant models, the effect values in multi-day lags were greater than those in single-day lags. PM2.5 at lag02 days, SO2 at lag03 days, PM10 and NO2 at lag05 days were observed to be strongly and significantly associated with respiratory disease hospitalization. No significant association was found between O3 and respiratory disease hospitalization. SO2 and NO2 were still significantly associated with hospitalization after adjusting for PM2.5 or PM10 into two-pollutant models. Females and younger population for respiratory disease were more vulnerable to air pollution than males and older groups. Therefore, some effective measures should be taken to strengthen the management of the ambient air pollutants, especially SO2 and NO2, and to enhance the protection of the high-risk population from air pollutants, thereby reducing the burden of respiratory disease caused by ambient air pollution.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 818-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Vidale ◽  
Carlo Campana

Air pollution has a great impact on health, representing one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Previous experimental and epidemiological studies suggested the role of pollutants as risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, international guidelines included specific statements regarding the contribution of particulate matter exposure to increase the risk of these events. In this review, we summarise the main evidence concerning the mechanisms involved in the processes linking air pollutants to the development of cardiovascular diseases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document