A community study of the effect of particulate matter on blood measures of inflammation and thrombosis in an elderly population.
BACKGROUND
The mechanism behind the triggering effect of fine particulate matter (PM) air pollution on cardiovascular events remains elusive. We postulated that elevated levels of PM would be associated with increased blood levels of inflammatory and thrombotic markers in elderly individuals. We also hypothesized that elevated PM would increase levels of cytokines in individuals with heart disease.


METHODS
We measured these blood markers in 47 elderly individuals with (23) and without (16 COPD and 8 healthy) cardiovascular disease (CVD) on 2 or 3 mornings over a 5 or 10-day period between February 2000 and March 2002. Blood measures were paired with residence level outdoor PM measured by nephelometry. Analyses determined the within-individual effect of 24-hour averaged outdoor PM on blood measures.


RESULTS
Analyses found no statistically significant effect of a same day 10 ug/m3 increase in fine PM on log transformed levels of CRP 1.21 fold-rise [95% CI: 0.86, 1.70], fibrinogen 1.02 fold-rise [95% CI: 0.98, 1.06], or D-dimer 1.02 fold-rise [95% CI: 0.88, 1.17] in individuals with CVD. One-day lagged analyses in the CVD subgroup found similar null results. These same models found no change in these blood markers at the same-day or 1-day lag in the group without CVD. In 21 individuals with CVD, a 10 mug/m3 increase in same-day PM was associated with a 1.3 fold-rise [95% CI: 1.1, 1.7] in the level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1.


CONCLUSIONS
We did not find consistent effects of low ambient levels of PM on blood measures of inflammation or thrombosis in elderly individuals.
Sullivan
Jeffrey H
JH
University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA. sulljh@u.washington.edu
Hubbard
Rebecca
R
Liu
Sally L-J
SL
Shepherd
Kristen
K
Trenga
Carol A
CA
Koenig
Jane Q
JQ
Chandler
Wayne L
WL
Kaufman
Joel D
JD
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D003625:Data Collection; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D011336:Probability; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology
D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D052638:Particulate Matter; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D002097:C-Reactive Protein