Veronika Pilz1, Kathrin Wolf2, Susanne Breitner3, Regina Rückerl4, Wolfgang Koenig5, Wolfgang Rathmann6, Josef Cyrys3, Annette Peters7, Alexandra Schneider7. 1. Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany; Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany. 2. Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address: kathrin.wolf@helmholtz-muenchen.de. 3. Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany. 4. Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany; Environmental Science Center, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany. 5. Klinik für Herz-& Kreislauferkrankungen, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; DZHK, German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany. 6. Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Munich, Germany. 7. Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Munich, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution contributes to the global burden of disease by particularly affecting cardiovascular (CV) causes of death. We investigated the association between particle number concentration (PNC), a marker for ultrafine particles, and other air pollutants and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a potential link between air pollution and CV disease. METHODS: We cross-sectionally analysed data from the second follow up (2013 and 2014) of the German KORA baseline survey which was conducted in 1999-2001. Residential long-term exposure to PNC and various other size fractions of particulate matter (PM10 with size of <10 μm in aerodynamic diameter, PMcoarse 2.5-10 μm or PM2.5 < 2.5 μm, respectively), soot (PM2.5abs: absorbance of PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (nitrogen dioxide NO2 or oxides NOx, respectively) and ozone (O3) were estimated by land-use regression models. Associations between annual air pollution concentrations and hs-CRP were modeled in 2252 participants using linear regression models adjusted for several confounders. Potential effect-modifiers were examined by interaction terms and two-pollutant models were calculated for pollutants with Spearman inter-correlation <0.70. RESULTS: Single pollutant models for PNC, PM10, PMcoarse, PM2.5abs, NO2 and NOx showed positive but non-significant associations with hs-CRP. For PNC, an interquartile range (2000 particles/cm3) increase was associated with a 3.6% (95% CI: -0.9%, 8.3%) increase in hs-CRP. A null association was found for PM2.5. Effect estimates were higher for women, non-obese participants, for participants without diabetes and without a history of cardiovascular disease whereas ex-smokers showed lower estimates compared to smokers or non-smokers. For O3, the dose-response function suggested a non-linear relationship. In two-pollutant models, adjustment for PM2.5 strengthened the effect estimates for PNC and PM10 (6.3% increase per 2000 particles/cm3 [95% CI: 0.4%; 12.5%] and 7.3% per 16.5 μg/m3 [95% CI: 0.4%; 14.8%], respectively). CONCLUSION: This study adds to a scarce but growing body of literature showing associations between long-term exposure to ultrafine particles and hs-CRP, one of the most intensely studied blood biomarkers for cardiovascular health. Our results highlight the role of ultrafine particles within the complex mixture of ambient air pollution and their inflammatory potential.
BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution contributes to the global burden of disease by particularly affecting cardiovascular (CV) causes of death. We investigated the association between particle number concentration (PNC), a marker for ultrafine particles, and other air pollutants and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a potential link between air pollution and CV disease. METHODS: We cross-sectionally analysed data from the second follow up (2013 and 2014) of the German KORA baseline survey which was conducted in 1999-2001. Residential long-term exposure to PNC and various other size fractions of particulate matter (PM10 with size of <10 μm in aerodynamic diameter, PMcoarse 2.5-10 μm or PM2.5 < 2.5 μm, respectively), soot (PM2.5abs: absorbance of PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (nitrogen dioxideNO2 or oxides NOx, respectively) and ozone (O3) were estimated by land-use regression models. Associations between annual air pollution concentrations and hs-CRP were modeled in 2252 participants using linear regression models adjusted for several confounders. Potential effect-modifiers were examined by interaction terms and two-pollutant models were calculated for pollutants with Spearman inter-correlation <0.70. RESULTS: Single pollutant models for PNC, PM10, PMcoarse, PM2.5abs, NO2 and NOx showed positive but non-significant associations with hs-CRP. For PNC, an interquartile range (2000 particles/cm3) increase was associated with a 3.6% (95% CI: -0.9%, 8.3%) increase in hs-CRP. A null association was found for PM2.5. Effect estimates were higher for women, non-obeseparticipants, for participants without diabetes and without a history of cardiovascular disease whereas ex-smokers showed lower estimates compared to smokers or non-smokers. For O3, the dose-response function suggested a non-linear relationship. In two-pollutant models, adjustment for PM2.5 strengthened the effect estimates for PNC and PM10 (6.3% increase per 2000 particles/cm3 [95% CI: 0.4%; 12.5%] and 7.3% per 16.5 μg/m3 [95% CI: 0.4%; 14.8%], respectively). CONCLUSION: This study adds to a scarce but growing body of literature showing associations between long-term exposure to ultrafine particles and hs-CRP, one of the most intensely studied blood biomarkers for cardiovascular health. Our results highlight the role of ultrafine particles within the complex mixture of ambient air pollution and their inflammatory potential.
Authors: Bonnie N Young; Jennifer L Peel; Tracy L Nelson; Annette M Bachand; Judy M Heiderscheidt; Bevin Luna; Stephen J Reynolds; Kirsten A Koehler; John Volckens; David Diaz-Sanchez; Lucas M Neas; Maggie L Clark Journal: Indoor Air Date: 2019-10-06 Impact factor: 5.770
Authors: Megan L Benka-Coker; Maggie L Clark; Sarah Rajkumar; Bonnie N Young; Annette M Bachand; Robert D Brook; Tracy L Nelson; John Volckens; Stephen J Reynolds; Ander Wilson; Christian L'Orange; Nicholas Good; Casey Quinn; Kirsten Koehler; Sebastian Africano; Anibal B Osorto Pinel; David Diaz-Sanchez; Lucas Neas; Jennifer L Peel Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2022-03-05 Impact factor: 5.840
Authors: Laura Corlin; Shannon Ball; Mark Woodin; Allison P Patton; Kevin Lane; John L Durant; Doug Brugge Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2018-09-18 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Kai Chen; Alexandra Schneider; Josef Cyrys; Kathrin Wolf; Christa Meisinger; Margit Heier; Wolfgang von Scheidt; Bernhard Kuch; Mike Pitz; Annette Peters; Susanne Breitner Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2020-01-15 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Stephen Vander Hoorn; Kevin Murray; Lee Nedkoff; Graeme J Hankey; Leon Flicker; Bu B Yeap; Osvaldo P Almeida; Paul Norman; Bert Brunekreef; Mark Nieuwenhuijsen; Jane Heyworth Journal: PLoS One Date: 2021-03-29 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Leslie C Thompson; Jonathan H Shannahan; Christina M Perez; Najwa Haykal-Coates; Charly King; Mehdi S Hazari; Jared M Brown; Aimen K Farraj Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2019-05-03 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Małgorzata Michalska; Katarzyna Zorena; Piotr Wąż; Maria Bartoszewicz; Agnieszka Brandt-Varma; Daniel Ślęzak; Marlena Robakowska Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2020-02-11 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Mona Elbarbary; Artem Oganesyan; Trenton Honda; Geoffrey Morgan; Yuming Guo; Yanfei Guo; Joel Negin Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-03-22 Impact factor: 3.390