Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and inflammatory response in the KORA study

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-02, Vol.912, p.169416-169416, Article 169416
• Main Authors: Vogli, Megi, Peters, Annette, Wolf, Kathrin, Thorand, Barbara, Herder, Christian, Koenig, Wolfgang, Cyrys, Josef, Maestri, Elena, Marmiroli, Nelson, Karrasch, Stefan, Zhang, Siqi, Pickford, Regina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fine particles; Inflammatory blood markers; Particulate matter; Ultrafine particles
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169416

Previous studies consistently showed an association between fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular diseases. Concerns about adverse health effects of ultrafine particles (UFP) are growing but long-term studies are still scarce. In this study, we examined the association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and blood biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation, including fibrinogen, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) adiponectin and interleukin-6 (IL-6), measured in the German KORA-S4 cohort study (1999–2001). IL-6 was available for older participants only, who were therefore considered as a subsample. Annual mean concentrations of UFP (as particle number concentration), particulate matter in different particles sizes (PM10, PMcoarse, PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance), ozone (O3), and nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOX) were estimated by land-use regression models and assigned to participants' home addresses. We performed a multiple linear regression between each pollutant and each biomarker with adjustment for confounders. Per 1 interquartile range (IQR, 1945 particles/cm3) increase of UFP, fibrinogen increased by 0.70 % (0.04; 1.37) and hs-CRP increased by 3.16 % (−0.52; 6.98). Adiponectin decreased by −2.53 % (−4.78; −0.24) per 1 IQR (1.4 μg/m3) increase of PM2.5. Besides, PM2.5 was associated with increased IL-6 in the subsample. In conclusion, we observed that long-term exposure to air pollutants, including both fine and ultrafine particles, was associated with higher concentrations of pro-inflammatory and lower concentrations of an anti-inflammatory blood biomarkers, which is consistent with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease observed for long-term exposure to air pollutants. [Display omitted] •Long-term exposure to fine and ultrafine particles is positively associated with inflammation.•Long-term exposure to fine particles is associated with a decrease in the anti-inflammatory blood biomarker.•In the quantile regression analysis ultrafine particles are associated with fibrinogen and hs-CRP at the 90th percentile.•Associations were higher in participants taking anti-inflammatory medication.