title: Proximity to a Major Road and Plasma Cytokines in School-Aged Children.
abstract: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) may affect immune responses, including those in the TH2 and TH17 pathways. To examine whether TRAP is associated with plasma level of TH17-, TH1-, and TH2-related cytokines in children with and without asthma, a cross-sectional study of 577 children (ages 6-14 years) with (n= 294) and without (n= 283) asthma in San Juan (Puerto Rico) was performed. Residential distance to a major road was estimated using geocoded home addresses for study participants. A panel of 14 cytokines, enriched for the TH17 pathway, was measured in plasma. Asthma was defined as physician-diagnosed asthma and current wheeze. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the association of residential distance to a major road (a marker of TRAP), asthma, and cytokine levels. Among all participating children, residential proximity to a major road was significantly associated with increased plasma level of IL-31, even after adjustment for relevant covariates and correction for multiple testing. The presence of asthma modified the estimated effect of the residential distance to a major road on plasma TNF-α (Pfor interaction = 0.00047). Although living farther from a major road was significantly associated with lower TNF-α level in control subjects, no such decrease was seen in children with asthma. In a direct comparison of cases and control subjects, children with asthma had significantly higher levels of IL-1β, IL-22, and IL-33 than control subjects. TRAP is associated with increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines among Puerto Rican children, who belong to an ethnic group with high risk for asthma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosser
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Erick
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Forno
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brehm
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Yueh-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boutaoui
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico , San Juan, Puerto Rico .
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colón-Semidey
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico , San Juan, Puerto Rico .
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico , San Juan, Puerto Rico .
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Acosta-Pérez
authors.affiliation: H. John Heinz III College and School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Kristen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kurland
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Alcorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico , San Juan, Puerto Rico .
authors.forename: Glorisa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canino
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Celedón