PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nitin Rajan
AU  - Jafrin Alam
AU  - Rossa Brugha
AU  - Claire Greiller
AU  - Wai Yee James
AU  - Adrian Martineau
AU  - Jonathan Grigg
TI  - In vivo macrophage phagocytosis of inhaled black carbon air pollution in COPD
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P3870
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3870.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3870.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - BackgroundSince airway macrophage (AM) phagocytosis of bacteria is impaired in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Donnelly LE et al., Eur Respir J 2010; 35: 1039–1047), we sought evidence for impaired uptake of traffic-derived black carbon (BC) in AM in COPD.MethodsAM were obtained from patients with COPD (n=29) by sputum induction with hypertonic saline after informed consent. The mean area (μm2) of BC was assessed in 50 AM per patient using image analysis. Spirometry was performed, and COPD was classified according to GOLD criteria. AM BC load was compared between patient's GOLD stages by Mann Whitney test, and correlation between % predicted FEV1 and AM BC was tested by Spearman rank correlation.ResultsCompared with COPD GOLD stage 1 (n=9), patients with GOLD stage 3 (n=5) had reduced AM BC (p<0.05, [Figure 1]). Percent predicted FEV1 and AM- BC were positively correlated (Rs 0.38, p<0.05, [Figure 2]).ConclusionIn vivo phagocytosis of inhaled black carbon by AM is impaired in severe COPD. This may contribute to the vulnerability of patients with COPD to particulate matter air pollution.