US EPA

196851 

Journal Article 

Associations of long- and short-term air pollution exposure with markers of inflammation and coagulation in a population sample 

Panasevich, S; Leander, K; Rosenlund, M; Ljungman, P; Bellander, T; de Faire, U; Pershagen, G; Nyberg, F 

2009 

1 

Occupational and Environmental Medicine
ISSN: 1351-0711
EISSN: 1470-7926 

66 

11 

747-753 

English 

19687019 

10.1136/oem.2008.043471 

WOS:000270892900008 

Background: Exposure to elevated levels of ambient air pollutants can lead to adverse cardiovascular effects. Potential mechanisms include systemic inflammation and perturbation of the coagulation balance.

Objectives: To investigate long- and short-term effects of air pollution exposure on serum levels of inflammatory (IL-6, TNF-, and CRP) and coagulation (fibrinogen and PAI-1) markers of relevance for cardiovascular pathology.

Methods: The study group included a population sample of 1028 men and 508 women aged 45 to 70 years from Stockholm. Long-term air pollution exposure was assessed using spatial modelling of traffic-related NO2 and heating-related SO2 emissions at each subject's residential addresses over retrospective periods of 1, 5, and 30 years. Short-term exposure was assessed as averages of rooftop measurements over 12 to 120 hours before blood sampling.

Results: Long-term exposures to both traffic-NO2 and heating-SO2 emissions showed a consistent association with IL-6 levels. 30-year average traffic-NO2 exposure was associated with 64.5% (95%CI 6.7-153.8%) increase in serum IL-6 per 28.8 µg/m3 (corresponding to the difference between the 5th and the 95th percentile exposure value), and 30-year exposure to heating-SO2 with 67.6% (95%CI 7.1-162.2%) increase per 39.4 µg/m3 (5th-95th percentile value difference). The association appeared stronger in non-smokers, physically active people, and hypertensive persons. We observed positive non-significant associations of inflammatory markers with NO2 and PM10 during 24 hours before blood sampling. Short-term exposure to O3 was associated with increased, and SO2 with decreased, fibrinogen levels.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that exposure to moderate levels of air pollution may influence serum levels of inflammatory markers. 

Aged;Air Pollutants adverse effects;Air Pollutants analysis;Air Pollution analysis;Biological Markers blood;Case-Control Studies;Environmental Exposure adverse effects;Environmental Exposure analysis;Environmental Monitoring methods;Female;Fibrinogen metabolism;Humans;Inflammation blood;Inflammation complications;Male;Middle Aged;Myocardial Infarction blood;Myocardial Infarction etiology;Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 blood;Sweden;Urban Health statistics & numerical data;Air Pollution adverse effects;Blood Coagulation drug effects;Inflammation chemically induced;Inflammation Mediators blood 

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