Occupational vehicle-related particulate exposure and inflammatory markers in trucking industry workers.
Previous studies have suggested an association between particulate air pollution and cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism is still unclear.



We examined the association between workplace exposure to vehicle-related particles and cardiovascular disease related systemic inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in 137 trucking terminal workers (non-drivers) in the U.S. trucking industry.



We visited two large trucking terminals in 2009 and measured vehicle-related elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5µm (PM2.5), for 5 days consecutively at the main work areas. Each participant provided a blood sample and completed a health questionnaire during the sampling period. Individual workplace exposure level was calculated by 12-h time weighted moving averages based on work shift. The association between each blood marker and exposure to each pollutant during 0-12, 12-24, 24-36, and 36-48h before the blood draw was examined by multivariable regression analyses.



In general, OC and EC had a positive association with sICAM-1, especially for exposure periods 12-24 (lag12-24) and 24-36 (lag24-36)h prior to blood draw [β=54.9 (95%CI: 12.3-97.5) for lag12-24 and β=46.5 (95%CI: 21.2-71.8) for lag12-24; change in sICAM-1 (in ng/mL) corresponding to an IQR increase in OC]. A similar pattern was found for EC and PM2.5. We did not find an association between measured pollutants up to 48h before blood draw and hs-CRP or IL-6.



In this group of healthy workers, short-term exposure to vehicle-related air pollutants may be associated with sICAM-1. Our findings may be dependent on the exposure period studied.
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: mathilda.chiu@mssm.edu.
Yueh-Hsiu Mathilda
YH
Chiu
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Eric
E
Garshick
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Jaime E
JE
Hart
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Donna
D
Spiegelman
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Douglas W
DW
Dockery
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Thomas J
TJ
Smith
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Francine
F
Laden
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002244:Carbon; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; C508600:IL6 protein, human
Cardiovascular disease; Inflammatory marker; Occupational exposure; Traffic air pollution; Trucking industry