title: Cardiovascular outcomes and the physical and chemical properties of metal ions found in particulate matter air pollution: a QICAR study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper presents an application of quantitative ion character-activity relationships (QICAR) to estimate associations of human cardiovascular (CV) diseases (CVDs) with a set of metal ion properties commonly observed in ambient air pollutants. QICAR has previously been used to predict ecotoxicity of inorganic metal ions based on ion properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this work was to examine potential associations of biological end points with a set of physical and chemical properties describing inorganic metal ions present in exposures using QICAR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chemical and physical properties of 17 metal ions were obtained from peer-reviewed publications. Associations of cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, stroke, and thrombosis with exposures to metal ions (measured as inference scores) were obtained from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Robust regressions were applied to estimate the associations of CVDs with ion properties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CVD was statistically significantly associated (Bonferroni-adjusted significance level of 0.003) with many ion properties reflecting ion size, solubility, oxidation potential, and abilities to form covalent and ionic bonds. The properties are relevant for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which has been identified as a possible mechanism leading to CVDs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QICAR has the potential to complement existing epidemiologic methods for estimating associations between CVDs and air pollutant exposures by providing clues about the underlying mechanisms that may explain these associations.
authors: School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
authors: Qingyu
authors: Q
authors: Meng
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Richmond-Bryant
authors: Shou-En
authors: SE
authors: Lu
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Buckley
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Welsh
authors: Eric A
authors: EA
authors: Whitsel
authors: Adel
authors: A
authors: Hanna
authors: Karin B
authors: KB
authors: Yeatts
authors: Joshua
authors: J
authors: Warren
authors: Amy H
authors: AH
authors: Herring
authors: Aijun
authors: A
authors: Xiu
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D052638:Particulate Matter; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species