title: Mucociliary clearance, airway inflammation and nasal symptoms in urban motorcyclists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is evidence that outdoor workers exposed to high levels of air pollution exhibit airway inflammation and increased airway symptoms. We hypothesized that these workers would experience increased airway symptoms and decreased nasal mucociliary clearance associated with their exposure to air pollution.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 25 non-smoking commercial motorcyclists, aged 18-44 years, were included in this study. These drivers work 8-12 hours per day, 5 days per week, driving on urban streets. Nasal mucociliary clearance was measured by the saccharine transit test; airway acidification was measured by assessing the pH of exhaled breath condensate; and airway symptoms were measured by the Sino-nasal Outcome Test-20 questionnaire. To assess personal air pollution exposure, the subjects used a passive-diffusion nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration-monitoring system during the 14 days before each assessment. The associations between NO2 and the airway outcomes were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and the Chi-Square test. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01976039.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with clearance in healthy adult males, mucociliary clearance was decreased in 32% of the motorcyclists. Additionally, 64% of the motorcyclists had airway acidification and 92% experienced airway symptoms. The median personal NO2 exposure level was 75 mg/m3 for these subjects and a significant association was observed between NO2 and impaired mucociliary clearance (p=0.036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-smoking commercial motorcyclists exhibit increased airway symptoms and airway acidification as well as decreased nasal mucociliary clearance, all of which are significantly associated with the amount of exposure to air pollution.
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Tereza C S
authors: TC
authors: Brant
authors: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Carolina T
authors: CT
authors: Yoshida
authors: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Tomas de S
authors: Tde S
authors: Carvalho
authors: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Marina L
authors: ML
authors: Nicola
authors: Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors: Jocimar A
authors: JA
authors: Martins
authors: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Lays M
authors: LM
authors: Braga
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Regiani C de
authors: RC
authors: Oliveira
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Vilma
authors: V
authors: Leyton
authors: Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Carmen S de
authors: CS
authors: André
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Paulo H N
authors: PH
authors: Saldiva
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
authors: Bruce K
authors: BK
authors: Rubin
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Naomi K
authors: NK
authors: Nakagawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009049:Motorcycles; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide
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