title: Nitrogen dioxide exposure: effects on airway and blood cells.
abstract: This study examined the effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) exposure on airway inflammation, blood cells, and antiviral respiratory defense. Twenty-one healthy volunteers were exposed on separate occasions to air and 0.6 and 1.5 ppm NO(2) for 3 h with intermittent moderate exercise. Phlebotomy and bronchoscopy were performed 3.5 h after each exposure, and recovered cells were challenged with respiratory viruses in vitro. Blood studies revealed a 4.1% NO(2) dose-related decrease in hematocrit (P = 0.003). Circulating total lymphocytes (P = 0.024) and T lymphocytes (P = 0.049) decreased with NO(2) exposure. Exposure to NO(2) increased the blood lymphocyte CD4(+)-to-CD8(+) ratio from 1.74 +/- 0.11 to 1.85 +/- 0.12 in males but decreased it from 1.88 +/- 0.19 to 1.78 +/- 0.19 in females (P < 0.001 for gender difference). Polymorphonuclear leukocytes in bronchial lavage increased with NO(2) exposure (P = 0.003). Bronchial epithelial cells obtained after exposure to 1.5 ppm NO(2) released 40% more lactate dehydrogenase after challenge with respiratory syncytial virus than with air exposure (P = 0.024). In healthy subjects, exposures to NO(2) at levels found indoors cause mild airway inflammation, effects on blood cells, and increased susceptibility of airway epithelial cells to injury from respiratory viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York 14642-8692, USA. mark_frampton@urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Frampton
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boscia
authors.forename: Norbert J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azadniv
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chalupa
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Frasier
authors.forename: F Raymond
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Gibb
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Speers
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Utell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000388:Air; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002470:Cell Survival; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000209:etiology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide