The effect of environmental oxidative stress on airway inflammation.
OBJECTIVE
Asthma is an inflammatory respiratory condition with significantly associated morbidity and mortality that is increasing in prevalence. Air pollution is an important factor in both the development of asthma and in asthma exacerbations. Oxidative stress as a result of exposure to air pollution and underlying genetic polymorphisms that may play a role in susceptibility to this oxidative stress are the subject of current investigation. This article reviews the data regarding the effects of air pollution on the innate immune response and potential clinical and treatment implications of how genetic polymorphisms affect this response.


RESULTS
Recent investigation reveals how pollutant-induced oxidative stress impacts airway inflammatory responses. Work by our study group demonstrates that asthmatic patients have an exaggerated inflammatory response to air pollution-induced oxidative stress. New trials investigating antioxidants as potential therapeutic interventions may target this specific issue.


CONCLUSIONS
Air pollution plays a critical role in asthma and may affect certain patients more than others. Further investigation into the genetic polymorphisms that affect inflammatory responses may help target patient populations at greatest risk for air pollution-induced asthma and may provide new therapeutic options for these patient populations.
Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516, USA.
Amy
A
Auerbach
Michelle L
ML
Hernandez
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010126:Ozone