Coarse Particulate Matter (PM2.5 - 10) Affects Heart Rate Variability Blood Lipids and Circulating Eosinophils in Adults with Asthma

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Neil Alexis (Creator)

Wayne Cascio (Creator)

John Creason (Creator)

Robert B. Devlin (Creator)

Margaret Herbst (Creator)

Lawrence Kupper (Creator)

Lucas Neas (Creator)

David B. Peden (Creator)

James Scott (Creator)

Erik Svendsen (Creator)

Ronald Williams (Creator)

Karin Yeatts (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether markers of airway and systemic inflammation as well as heart rate variability (HRV) in asthmatics change in response to fluctuations in ambient particulate matter (PM) in the coarse [PM with aerodynamic diameter 2.5 - 10 micrometer (PM2.5 - 10)] and fine (PM2.5) size range. METHODS: Twelve adult asthmatics living within a 30-mile radius of an atmospheric monitoring site in Chapel Hill North Carolina were followed over a 12-week period. Daily PM2.5 - 10 and PM2.5 concentrations were measured separately for each 24-hr period. Each subject had nine clinic visits at which spirometric measures and peripheral blood samples for analysis of lipids inflammatory cells and coagulation-associated proteins were obtained. We also assessed HRV [SDNN24HR (standard deviation of all normal-to-normal intervals in a 24-hr recording) ASDNN5 (mean of the standard deviation in all 5-min segments of a 24-hr recording)] with four consecutive 24-hr ambulatory electrocardiogram measurements. Linear mixed models with a spatial covariance matrix structure and a 1-day lag were used to assess potential associations between PM levels and cardiopulmonary end points. RESULTS: For a 1-microgram/m3 increase in coarse PM SDNN24HR and ASDNN5 decreased 3.36% (p = 0.02) and 0.77% (p = 0.05) respectively. With a 1-microgram/m3 increase in coarse PM circulating eosinophils increased 0.16% (p = 0.01) triglycerides increased 4.8% (p = 0.02) and very low-density lipoprotein increased 1.15% (p = 0.01). No significant associations were found with fine PM and none with lung function. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that small temporal increases in ambient coarse PM are sufficient to affect important cardiopulmonary and lipid parameters in adults with asthma. Coarse PM may have underappreciated health effects in susceptible populations. Originally published Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 115 No. 5 May 2007

Additional Information

Publication

Other

Environmental Health Perspectives. 115:5(May 2007) p. 709-714.

Language: English

Date: 2011

Keywords

Asthma, coarse PM, heart rate variability, inflammatory markers, Lipids, systemic inflammation

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