Airway inflammation following exposure to diesel exhaust: a study of time kinetics using induced sputum

The adverse health effects of particulate matter pollution are of increasing concern. In a recent bronchoscopic study in healthy volunteers, pronounced airway inflammation was detected following exposure to diesel exhaust (DE). The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the time kinetics of the inflammatory response following exposure to DE using induced sputum from healthy volunteers. Fifteen healthy nonsmoking volunteers were exposed to DE particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 microm 300 microg x m(-3) and air for 1 h on two separate occasions. Sputum induction with hypertonic saline was performed 6 and 24 h after each exposure. Analyses of sputum differential cell counts and soluble protein concentrations were performed. Six hours after exposure to DE, a significant increase was found in the percentage of sputum neutrophils (37.7 versus 26.2% p=0.002) together with increases in the concentrations of interleukin-6 (12.0 versus 6.3 pg x mL(-1), p=0.006) and methylhistamine (0.11 versus 0.12 microg x L(-1), p=0.024). Irrespective of exposure, a significant increase was found in the percentage of sputum neutrophils at 24 as compared to 6 h, indicating that the procedure of sputum induction itself may change the composition of sputum. This study demonstrates that exposure to diesel exhaust induces inflammatory response in healthy human airways, represented by an early increase in interleukin-6 and methylhistamine concentration and the percentage of neutrophils. Induced sputum provides a safe tool for the investigation of the inflammatory effects of diesel exhaust, but care must be taken when interpreting results from repeated sputum inductions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M A Arbex, G M de Souza Conceicao, S P Cendon, F F Arbex, A C Lopes, E P Moyses, S L Santiago, P H N Saldiva, L A A Pereira, and A L F Braga Urban air pollution and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related emergency department visits J Epidemiol Community Health, October 1, 2009; 63(10): 777 - 783. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J E Hart, F Laden, E A Eisen, T J Smith, and E Garshick Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality in railroad workers Occup. Environ. Med., April 1, 2009; 66(4): 221 - 226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Swiston, W. Davidson, S. Attridge, G. T. Li, M. Brauer, and S. F. van Eeden Wood smoke exposure induces a pulmonary and systemic inflammatory response in firefighters Eur. Respir. J., July 1, 2008; 32(1): 129 - 138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. McCreanor, P. Cullinan, M. J. Nieuwenhuijsen, J. Stewart-Evans, E. Malliarou, L. Jarup, R. Harrington, M. Svartengren, I.-K. Han, P. Ohman-Strickland, et al. Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Diesel Traffic in Persons with Asthma N. Engl. J. Med., December 6, 2007; 357(23): 2348 - 2358. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Tornqvist, N. L. Mills, M. Gonzalez, M. R. Miller, S. D. Robinson, I. L. Megson, W. MacNee, K. Donaldson, S. Soderberg, D. E. Newby, et al. Persistent Endothelial Dysfunction in Humans after Diesel Exhaust Inhalation Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 15, 2007; 176(4): 395 - 400. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Ciencewicki, L. Brighton, W.-D. Wu, M. Madden, and I. Jaspers Diesel exhaust enhances virus- and poly(I:C)-induced Toll-like receptor 3 expression and signaling in respiratory epithelial cells Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, June 1, 2006; 290(6): L1154 - L1163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Papi, F. Luppi, F. Franco, and L. M. Fabbri Pathophysiology of Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Proceedings of the ATS, May 1, 2006; 3(3): 245 - 251. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Adelroth, U. Hedlund, A. Blomberg, R. Helleday, M-C. Ledin, J. O. Levin, J. Pourazar, T. Sandstrom, and B. Jarvholm Airway inflammation in iron ore miners exposed to dust and diesel exhaust Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2006; 27(4): 714 - 719. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. E. Carpagnano, M P. Foschino Barbaro, M. Cagnazzo, G Di Gioia, T Giliberti, C Di Matteo, and O Resta Use of Exhaled Breath Condensate in the Study of Airway Inflammation After Hypertonic Saline Solution Challenge Chest, November 1, 2005; 128(5): 3159 - 3166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Seagrave, A. Gigliotti, J. D. McDonald, S. K. Seilkop, K. A. Whitney, B. Zielinska, and J. L. Mauderly Composition, Toxicity, and Mutagenicity of Particulate and Semivolatile Emissions from Heavy-Duty Compressed Natural Gas-Powered Vehicles Toxicol. Sci., September 1, 2005; 87(1): 232 - 241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Fiedler, N. Giardino, B. Natelson, J. E. Ottenweller, C. Weisel, P. Lioy, P. Lehrer, P. Ohman-Strickland, K. Kelly-McNeil, and H. Kipen Responses to Controlled Diesel Vapor Exposure Among Chemically Sensitive Gulf War Veterans Psychosom Med, July 1, 2004; 66(4): 588 - 598. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A J White, S Gompertz, and R A Stockley Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * 6: The aetiology of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Thorax, January 1, 2003; 58(1): 73 - 80. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.M.M. Pizzichini Is sputum eosinophilia a good or poor predictor of benefit from inhaled corticosteroid therapy in asthma? Eur. Respir. J., December 1, 2002; 20(6): 1359 - 1361. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J Grigg The health effects of fossil fuel derived particles Arch. Dis. Child., February 1, 2002; 86(2): 79 - 83. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Nordenhall, J. Pourazar, M-C. Ledin, J-O. Levin, T. Sandstrom, and E. Adelroth Diesel exhaust enhances airway responsiveness in asthmatic subjects Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2001; 17(5): 909 - 915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Sydbom, A. Blomberg, S. Parnia, N. Stenfors, T. Sandstrom, and S-E. Dahlen Health effects of diesel exhaust emissions Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2001; 17(4): 733 - 746. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]