title: Inflammatory Mediator Profiling of n-butanol Exposed Upper Airways in Individuals with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic condition characterized by reports of recurrent symptoms in response to low level exposure to various chemical substances. Recent findings suggests that dysregulation of the immune system may play a role in MCS pathophysiology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine baseline and low dose n-butanol-induced upper airway inflammatory response profiles in MCS subjects versus healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen participants with MCS and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Epithelial lining fluid was collected from the nasal cavity at three time points: baseline, within 15 minutes after being exposed to 3.7 ppm n-butanol in an exposure chamber and four hours after exposure termination. A total of 19 cytokines and chemokines were quantified. Furthermore, at baseline and during the exposure session, participants rated the perceived intensity, valence and levels of symptoms and autonomic recordings were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The physiological and psychophysical measurements during the n-butanol exposure session verified a specific response in MCS individuals only. However, MCS subjects and healthy controls displayed similar upper airway inflammatory mediator profiles (P>0.05) at baseline. Likewise, direct comparison of mediator levels in the MCS group and controls after n-butanol exposure revealed no significant group differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate no abnormal upper airway inflammatory mediator levels in MCS subjects before or after a symptom-eliciting exposure to low dose n-butanol, implying that upper airways of MCS subjects are functionally intact at the level of cytokine and chemokine production and secretory capacity. This suggests that previous findings of increased cytokine plasma levels in MCS are unlikely to be caused by systemic priming via excessive upper airway inflammatory processes.
authors.affiliation: Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte, Denmark.|Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas Meinertz
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dantoft
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skovbjerg
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.|Department of Occupational and Public Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Linus
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna-Sara
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Claeson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.affiliation: Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brix
mesh_terms: D020001:1-Butanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020001:1-Butanol