|
 |
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2001
Health effects of diesel exhaust emissions
1 Unit for Experimental Asthma & Allergy Research, The National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, 2 Dept of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden, 3 Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology Research Division, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, UK
CORRESPONDENCE: S-E. Dahlén, Unit for Experimental Asthma & Allergy Research, The National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. Fax: 46 8300619
Keywords: air pollution, allergy incidence, animal studies, asthma exacerbation, diesel, human exposure
Received: October 5, 2000
Accepted October 20, 2000
The authors were supported by the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, The Medical Research Council (project No 9071), the Swedish National Road Administration (Vägverket) and The Foundation for Health Care and Allergy Research (Vårdal).
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between different levels of air pollution and various health outcomes including mortality, exacerbation of asthma, chronic bronchitis, respiratory tract infections, ischaemic heart disease and stroke. Of the motor vehicle generated air pollutants, diesel exhaust particles account for a highly significant percentage of the particles emitted in many towns and cities. This review is therefore focused on the health effects of diesel exhaust, and especially the particular matter components.
Acute effects of diesel exhaust exposure include irritation of the nose and eyes, lung function changes, respiratory changes, headache, fatigue and nausea. Chronic exposures are associated with cough, sputum production and lung function decrements. In addition to symptoms, exposure studies in healthy humans have documented a number of profound inflammatory changes in the airways, notably, before changes in pulmonary function can be detected. It is likely that such effects may be even more detrimental in asthmatics and other subjects with compromised pulmonary function.
There are also observations supporting the hypothesis that diesel exhaust is one important factor contributing to the allergy pandemic. For example, in many experimental systems, diesel exhaust particles can be shown to act as adjuvants to allergen and hence increase the sensitization response.
Much of the research on adverse effects of diesel exhaust, both in vivo and in vitro, has however been conducted in animals. Questions remain concerning the relevance of exposure levels and whether findings in such models can be extrapolated into humans. It is therefore imperative to further assess acute and chronic effects of diesel exhaust in mechanistic studies with careful consideration of exposure levels. Whenever possible and ethically justified, studies should be carried out in humans.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Valdes ESTIMATING THE LUNG BURDEN FROM EXPOSURE TO AEROSOLS OF DEPLETED URANIUM Radiat Prot Dosimetry, April 4, 2009; (2009) ncp056v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Bosson, S. Barath, J. Pourazar, A. F. Behndig, T. Sandstrom, A. Blomberg, and E. Adelroth Diesel exhaust exposure enhances the ozone-induced airway inflammation in healthy humans Eur. Respir. J., June 1, 2008; 31(6): 1234 - 1240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Stevens, Q. T. Krantz, W. P. Linak, S. Hester, and M. I. Gilmour Increased Transcription of Immune and Metabolic Pathways in Naive and Allergic Mice Exposed to Diesel Exhaust Toxicol. Sci., April 1, 2008; 102(2): 359 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Cao, P. A. Bromberg, and J. M. Samet COX-2 Expression Induced by Diesel Particles Involves Chromatin Modification and Degradation of HDAC1 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., August 1, 2007; 37(2): 232 - 239. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. K. Farraj, N. Haykal-Coates, A. D. Ledbetter, P. A. Evansky, and S. H. Gavett Neurotrophin Mediation of Allergic Airways Responses to Inhaled Diesel Particles in Mice Toxicol. Sci., November 1, 2006; 94(1): 183 - 192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. L. Mills, N. Amin, S. D. Robinson, A. Anand, J. Davies, D. Patel, J. M. de la Fuente, F. R. Cassee, N. A. Boon, W. MacNee, et al. Do Inhaled Carbon Nanoparticles Translocate Directly into the Circulation in Humans? Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 15, 2006; 173(4): 426 - 431. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Olivieri and E. Scoditti Impact of environmental factors on lung defences Eur. Respir. Rev., December 1, 2005; 14(95): 51 - 56. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Pourazar, I. S. Mudway, J. M. Samet, R. Helleday, A. Blomberg, S. J. Wilson, A. J. Frew, F. J. Kelly, and T. Sandstrom Diesel exhaust activates redox-sensitive transcription factors and kinases in human airways Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, November 1, 2005; 289(5): L724 - L730. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.-J. G. Pan, D. A. Schmitz, A. K. Cho, J. Froines, and J. M. Fukuto Inherent Redox Properties of Diesel Exhaust Particles: Catalysis of the Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species by Biological Reductants Toxicol. Sci., September 1, 2004; 81(1): 225 - 232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. M. Finkelstein, M. Jerrett, and M. R. Sears Traffic Air Pollution and Mortality Rate Advancement Periods Am. J. Epidemiol., July 15, 2004; 160(2): 173 - 177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Ito, M. Son, S. Sato, T. Ohashi, M. Kondo, K. Shimokata, and H. Kume Effects of Fluoranthene, a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, on cAMP-Dependent Anion Secretion in Human Airway Epithelia J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., February 1, 2004; 308(2): 651 - 657. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. McConnell, K. Berhane, F. Gilliland, J. Molitor, D. Thomas, F. Lurmann, E. Avol, W. J. Gauderman, and J. M. Peters Prospective Study of Air Pollution and Bronchitic Symptoms in Children with Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., October 1, 2003; 168(7): 790 - 797. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. K. Saxena, Q. B. Saxena, D. N. Weissman, J. P. Simpson, T. A. Bledsoe, and D. M. Lewis Effect of Diesel Exhaust Particulate on Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Lung Infection in Mice and Attendant Changes in Lung Interstitial Lymphoid Subpopulations and IFN{gamma} Response Toxicol. Sci., May 1, 2003; 73(1): 66 - 71. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Sandstrom, A.J. Frew, M. Svartengren, and G. Viegi The need for a focus on air pollution research in the elderly Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2003; 21(40_suppl): 92S - 95s. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Rudra-Ganguly, S. T. Reddy, P. Korge, and H. R. Herschman Diesel Exhaust Particle Extracts and Associated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Inhibit Cox-2-dependent Prostaglandin Synthesis in Murine Macrophages and Fibroblasts J. Biol. Chem., October 11, 2002; 277(42): 39259 - 39265. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. D'Amato, G. Liccardi, M. D'Amato, and M. Cazzola Outdoor air pollution, climatic changes and allergic bronchial asthma Eur. Respir. J., September 1, 2002; 20(3): 763 - 776. [Abstract] [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]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |