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Outdoor air pollution, climatic changes and allergic bronchial asthma

G. D'Amato, G. Liccardi, M. D'Amato, M. Cazzola
European Respiratory Journal 2002 20: 763-776; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.02.00401402
G. D'Amato
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G. Liccardi
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M. D'Amato
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M. Cazzola
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Abstract

Both the prevalence and severity of respiratory allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma have increased in recent years. Among the factors implicated in this “epidemic” are indoor and outdoor airborne pollutants. Urbanisation with its high levels of vehicle emissions and Westernised lifestyle parallels the increase in respiratory allergy in most industrialised countries, and people who live in urban areas tend to be more affected by the disease than those of rural areas. In atopic subjects, exposure to air pollution increases airway responsiveness to aeroallergens. Pollen is a good model with which to study the interrelationship between air pollution and respiratory allergic diseases. Biological aerosols carrying antigenic proteins, such as pollen grains or plant-derived paucimicronic components, can produce allergic symptoms. By adhering to the surface of these airborne allergenic agents, air pollutants could modify their antigenic properties. Several factors influence this interaction, i.e., type of air pollutant, plant species, nutrient balance, climatic factors, degree of airway sensitisation and hyperresponsiveness of exposed subjects. However, the airway mucosal damage and the impaired mucociliary clearance induced by air pollution may facilitate the penetration and the access of inhaled allergens to the cells of the immune system, and so promote airway sensitisation. As a consequence, an enhanced immunoglobulin E-mediated response to aeroallergens and enhanced airway inflammation favoured by air pollution could account for the increasing prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases in urban areas.

  • air pollution
  • bronchial asthma
  • pollen allergy
  • respiratory allergy
  • urban air pollution

Footnotes

  • ↵Previous articles in this series: No. 1: Baldacci S, Omenaas E, Oryszcyn MP. Allergy markers in respiratory epidemiology. Eur Respir J 2001; 17: 773–790. No. 2: Antó JM, Vermeire P, Vestbo J, Sunyer J. Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir J 2001; 17: 982–994. No 3: Cuvelier A, Muir J-F. Noninvasive ventilation and obstructive lung diseases. Eur Respir J 2001; 17: 1271–1281. No 4: Wysocki M, Antonelli M. Noninvasive mechanical ventilation in acute hypoxaemic respiratory falure. Eur Respir J 2001; 18: 209–220. No 5: Østerlind K. Chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer. Eur Respir J 2001; 18: 1026–1043. No 6: Jaakkola M.S. Environmental tobacco smoke and helth in the elderly. Eur Respir J 2002; 19: 172–181. No 7: Hollings N. Shaw P. Diagnostic imaging of lung cancer. Eur Respir J 2002; 19: 772–742. No 8: Künzli N. The public health relevance of air pollution abatement. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: 198–209.

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Outdoor air pollution, climatic changes and allergic bronchial asthma
G. D'Amato, G. Liccardi, M. D'Amato, M. Cazzola
European Respiratory Journal Sep 2002, 20 (3) 763-776; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.02.00401402

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Outdoor air pollution, climatic changes and allergic bronchial asthma
G. D'Amato, G. Liccardi, M. D'Amato, M. Cazzola
European Respiratory Journal Sep 2002, 20 (3) 763-776; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.02.00401402
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