title: Noninvasive evaluation of the chronic influence of local air velocity from an air conditioner using salivary cortisol and skin caspase-14 as biomarkers of psychosomatic and environmental stress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the possibility of evaluating the chronic influence of local air velocity from an air conditioner using noninvasive biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a consecutive 5-day period, 16 healthy young male adults were exposed to air flow from a whole ceiling-type air conditioner (low local air velocity) and from a commercial concentrated exhaust air conditioner (high local air velocity). Salivary cortisol was used as an index of the psychological effects and caspase-14, collected from the stratum corneum, was used as a marker of environmental stress on the skin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Local air velocity generated from the whole ceiling-type air conditioner where the subject's head was positioned was one-seventh that of the exhaust air conditioner. After exposure to the exhaust air conditioner for 5 days, salivary cortisol decreased significantly from morning to evening and skin caspase-14 gradually increased during the day. A significant increase in hydration index from the morning to the evening was found with the whole ceiling-type air conditioner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effects of chronic exposure to air movement generated by an air conditioner may be quantified by measurement of salivary cortisol and skin caspase-14.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka 020-8551, Japan. masakiy@iwate-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimiya
mesh_terms: D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D057566:Self Report; D012867:Skin / Q000201:enzymology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C506446:CASP14 protein, human; D020169:Caspases; D006854:Hydrocortisone