Effects of long-standing exposure to heavy-duty diesel vehicle traffic on respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation in older adults.

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of chronic exposure to traffic from a heavy-duty diesel-fueled vehicle area on respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation in a nonsmoking adult and elderly population. Respiratory symptoms were evaluated by the ISAAC questionnaire (International Study of Asthma and Allergies questionnaire), and airway inflammation was assessed by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). Forty volunteers were selected from the 112 volunteers who completed the ISAAC questionnaire for the measurement of FeNO. The FeNO population comprised seven men (six aged ≥ 64 years old, four aged ≥ 75 years old) and 32 women (27 aged ≥ 64 years old, nine aged ≥ 75 years old). FeNO levels were tracked for six months, from November 2014 to June 2015. Results: Twenty-four percent of the volunteers reported having had wheezing in the chest in the last 12 months. However, only 2.7% of the volunteers reported doctor-diagnosed asthma. There was a positive association between FeNO and pollutants in most of the study months. An increase of 1 µg m-3 in NO2 was associated with a mean increase of 1.08 ppb in FeNO, and an increase of 1 µg m-3 in O3 was associated with a mean increase of 1.06 ppb in FeNO. The relative risk for NO2 ranged from 1.009 to 1.32 and that for O3 ranged from 1.014 to 1.020. Conclusion: The frequency of respiratory symptoms was much higher than the previously described levels of 6% in the Brazilian adult population. In summary, a high frequency of respiratory symptoms and high levels of FeNO were described in an underdiagnosed adult population living very close to a heavy-duty diesel-traffic area. Older elderly adults presented greater susceptibility to airway inflammation than younger adults.

Clinical relevance of pulmonary vasculature involvement in sickle cell disease.

Pulmonary complications are frequent in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), but few studies have described lung pathology in SCD. We studied the lung tissue of 30 deceased SCD patients (1994-2012). Demographics, genotype, clinical characteristics, cause of death and associated conditions are presented. We quantified the presence of pulmonary arterial changes, thrombosis and venous thickening. Alveolar capillary abnormalities were demonstrated using CD34 expression and confocal microscopy. Autopsy and echocardiography reports were reviewed to classify heart abnormalities. Tissue expression of markers of endothelial activation (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor) was quantified in pulmonary vessels. Median age was 33 years; genotype was SS in 19, SC in 7 and Sß in 4, and there were 18 males. Hypertensive arterial changes were present in 76% of the patients, recent thrombosis in 80% and old thrombosis in 43%. Venous thickening was present in 23% and pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis foci in 87%. Ten percent of the patients presented right ventricular hypertrophy. There was no increased expression of endothelial activation markers when compared to controls. SCD affects the whole pulmonary vascular tree and reflects the multiple burden on lung vasculature imposed by the disease upon time.

Respiratory Condition of Family Farmers Exposed to Pesticides in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Pesticide exposure is a growing public health concern. Although Brazil is the world’s largest consumer of pesticides, only a few studies have addressed the health effects among farmers. This study aimed to evaluate whether pesticide exposure is associated with respiratory outcomes among rural workers and relatives in Brazil during the crop and off-seasons. Family farmers (82) were interviewed about occupational history and respiratory symptoms, and cholinesterase tests were conducted in the crop-season. Spirometry was performed during the crop and off-season. Respiratory outcomes were compared between seasons and multiple regressions analysis were conducted to search for associations with exposure indicators. Participants were occupationally and environmentally exposed to multiple pesticides from an early age. During the crop and off-season, respectively, they presented a prevalence of 40% and 30.7% for cough, 30.7% and 24% for nasal allergies, and 24% and 17.3% for chest tightness. Significant associations between spirometry impairments and exposure indicators were found both during the crop and off-season. These findings provide complementary evidence about the association of pesticide exposure with adverse respiratory effects among family farmers in Brazil. This situation requires special attention as it may increase the risk of pulmonary dysfunctions, and the morbidity and mortality burden associated with these diseases.

Effectiveness of traffic-related elements in tree bark and pollen abortion rates for assessing air pollution exposure on respiratory mortality rates.

The majority of epidemiological studies correlate the cardiorespiratory effects of air pollution exposure by considering the concentrations of pollutants measured from conventional monitoring networks. The conventional air quality monitoring methods are expensive, and their data are insufficient for providing good spatial resolution. We hypothesized that bioassays using plants could effectively determine pollutant gradients, thus helping to assess the risks associated with air pollution exposure. The study regions were determined from different prevalent respiratory death distributions in the Sao Paulo municipality. Samples of tree flower buds were collected from twelve sites in four regional districts. The genotoxic effects caused by air pollution were tested through a pollen abortion bioassay. Elements derived from vehicular traffic that accumulated in tree barks were determined using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). Mortality data were collected from the mortality information program of Sao Paulo City. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the concentrations of elements accumulated in tree barks. Pearson correlation and exponential regression were performed considering the elements, pollen abortion rates and mortality data. PCA identified five factors, of which four represented elements related to vehicular traffic. The elements Al, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn showed a strong correlation with mortality rates (R2>0.87) and pollen abortion rates (R2>0.82). These results demonstrate that tree barks and pollen abortion rates allow for correlations between vehicular traffic emissions and associated outcomes such as genotoxic effects and mortality data.