PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Carrie P. Aaron
AU  - Eric A. Hoffman
AU  - Steven M. Kawut
AU  - John H.M. Austin
AU  - Matthew Budoff
AU  - Erin D. Michos
AU  - Karen Hinckley Stukovsky
AU  - Coralynn Sack
AU  - Adam A. Szpiro
AU  - Karol D. Watson
AU  - Joel D. Kaufman
AU  - R. Graham Barr
TI  - Ambient air pollution and pulmonary vascular volume on computed tomography: the MESA Air Pollution and Lung cohort studies
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.02116-2018
DP  - 2019 Jun 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1802116
VI  - 53
IP  - 6
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/53/6/1802116.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/53/6/1802116.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2019 Jun 01; 53
AB  - Background Air pollution alters small pulmonary vessels in animal models. We hypothesised that long-term ambient air pollution exposure would be associated with differences in pulmonary vascular volumes in a population-based study.Methods The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis recruited adults in six US cities. Personalised long-term exposures to ambient black carbon, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone were estimated using spatiotemporal models. In 2010–2012, total pulmonary vascular volume was measured as the volume of detectable pulmonary arteries and veins, including vessel walls and luminal blood volume, on noncontrast chest computed tomography (TPVVCT). Peripheral TPVVCT was limited to the peripheral 2 cm to isolate smaller vessels. Linear regression adjusted for demographics, anthropometrics, smoking, second-hand smoke, renal function and scanner manufacturer.Results The mean±sd age of the 3023 participants was 69.3±9.3 years; 46% were never-smokers. Mean exposures were 0.80 μg·m−3 black carbon, 14.6 ppb NO2 and 11.0 μg·m−3 ambient PM2.5. Mean±sd peripheral TPVVCT was 79.2±18.2 cm3 and TPVVCT was 129.3±35.1 cm3. Greater black carbon exposure was associated with a larger peripheral TPVVCT, including after adjustment for city (mean difference 0.41 (95% CI 0.03–0.79) cm3 per interquartile range; p=0.036). Associations for peripheral TPVVCT with NO2 were similar but nonsignificant after city adjustment, while those for PM2.5 were of similar magnitude but nonsignificant after full adjustment. There were no associations for NOx or ozone, or between any pollutant and TPVVCT.Conclusions Long-term black carbon exposure was associated with a larger peripheral TPVVCT, suggesting diesel exhaust may contribute to remodelling of small pulmonary vessels in the general population.In this large population-based study, higher ambient exposure to black carbon was associated with a greater volume of peripheral pulmonary vessels measured on noncontrast CT, suggesting diesel exhaust may impact small vessel remodelling in the lung http://ow.ly/nAEY30o8co4