TY - JOUR T1 - Toxicity of wood smoke and diesel exhaust in a whole blood assay JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 38 IS - Suppl 55 SP - p3329 AU - Jakob H. Bønløkke AU - Daan Leseman AU - Miriam Gerlofs-Nijland AU - Flemming Cassee AU - Torben Sigsgaard Y1 - 2011/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3329.abstract N2 - Combustion particles can cause detrimental effects on human health. Studies have focused on diesel exhaust but increased exposure to biomass combustion in affluent regions in addition to the widespread exposure in less affluent regions of the World stresses the need for more research on a wider range of pollutants.A 3-hr controlled exposure of 6 human volunteers to wood smoke (WS) at 300 ug/m3 from good combustion conditions was conducted. Venous blood sampled right after exposure and 48 hr earlier was used in a whole blood assay. In the assay, suspended combustion particles were added to the blood and selected inflammation-related proteins were measured after incubation. Combustion particles were from diesel engine exhaust (DE) and WS (good vs. poor combustion) collected on high volume filters and extracted with methanol. The aim was to find differences in toxicity among combustion particles and to study the impact of previous exposure to smoke. The positive control was endotoxin.The IL-6 release to endotoxin was attenuated after previous smoke exposure: 2380±2748 vs. 6849±2733 pg/mL (p = 0.057). IL-6 release to particles was detectable in one subject and only with WS particles from good combustion. IL-1β release did not show statistically significant differences, but appeared to be highest 48 hr before the smoke exposure. In particular it was high to WS particles from good combustion. The IL-1β release tended to be higher to WS particles from good combustion conditions than to DE particles (10.8±26.1 vs. 3.4±10.0 pg/mL; p = 0.15).This small study suggest a greater inflammatory potential of particles from good compared with poor wood combustion or from diesel exhaust. Responses may be related to previous exposure. ER -