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Air pollution and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and inflammation in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort

Azzouz, Mehjar ; Xu, Yiyi LU ; Barregard, Lars ; Fagerberg, Björn ; Zöller, Bengt LU orcid ; Molnár, Peter ; Oudin, Anna LU ; Spanne, Mårten ; Engström, Gunnar LU and Stockfelt, Leo (2022) In Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 21(1).
Abstract

Introduction: Air pollution is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly through chronic systemic inflammation that promotes the progression of atherosclerosis and the risk of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the associations between air pollution and established biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Methods: The Cardiovascular Subcohort of the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort includes 6103 participants from the general population of Malmö, Sweden. The participants were recruited 1991–1994. Annual mean residential exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 and < 10 μm (PM2.5 and PM10), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at year of recruitment were... (More)

Introduction: Air pollution is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly through chronic systemic inflammation that promotes the progression of atherosclerosis and the risk of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the associations between air pollution and established biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Methods: The Cardiovascular Subcohort of the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort includes 6103 participants from the general population of Malmö, Sweden. The participants were recruited 1991–1994. Annual mean residential exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 and < 10 μm (PM2.5 and PM10), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at year of recruitment were assigned from dispersion models. Blood samples collected at recruitment, including blood cell counts, and biomarkers (lymphocyte- and neutrophil counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, complement-C3, and alpha-1-antitrypsin) were analyzed. Multiple linear regression models were used to investigate the cross-sectional associations between air pollutants and biomarkers. Results: The mean annual exposure levels in the cohort were only slightly or moderately above the new WHO guidelines of 5 μg/m3 PM2.5 (10.5 μg/m3 PM2.5). Residential PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased levels of ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid, C3, alpha-1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, Lp-PLA2 and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. Ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid, C3 and alpha-1-antitrypsin were also positively associated with PM10. There were no associations between air pollutants and suPAR, leukocyte counts or CRP. The associations between particles and biomarkers were still significant after removing outliers and adjustment for CRP levels. The associations were more prominent in smokers. Conclusion: Long-term residential exposure to moderate levels of particulate air pollution was associated with several biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. This supports inflammation as a mechanism behind the association between air pollution and cardiovascular disease.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Air pollution, Biomarkers, C-reactive protein, Cardiovascular disease, Inflammation, Particulate matter
in
Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source
volume
21
issue
1
article number
39
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:35413834
  • scopus:85128008680
ISSN
1476-069X
DOI
10.1186/s12940-022-00851-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
85b9f134-f93b-4dba-b1db-634f1333407c
date added to LUP
2022-06-16 11:19:23
date last changed
2024-06-13 17:50:51
@article{85b9f134-f93b-4dba-b1db-634f1333407c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Introduction: Air pollution is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly through chronic systemic inflammation that promotes the progression of atherosclerosis and the risk of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the associations between air pollution and established biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Methods: The Cardiovascular Subcohort of the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort includes 6103 participants from the general population of Malmö, Sweden. The participants were recruited 1991–1994. Annual mean residential exposure to particulate matter &lt; 2.5 and &lt; 10 μm (PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub>), and nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>) at year of recruitment were assigned from dispersion models. Blood samples collected at recruitment, including blood cell counts, and biomarkers (lymphocyte- and neutrophil counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A<sub>2</sub> (Lp-PLA<sub>2</sub>), ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, complement-C3, and alpha-1-antitrypsin) were analyzed. Multiple linear regression models were used to investigate the cross-sectional associations between air pollutants and biomarkers. Results: The mean annual exposure levels in the cohort were only slightly or moderately above the new WHO guidelines of 5 μg/m<sup>3</sup> PM<sub>2.5</sub> (10.5 μg/m<sup>3</sup> PM<sub>2.5</sub>). Residential PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure was associated with increased levels of ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid, C3, alpha-1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, Lp-PLA<sub>2</sub> and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. Ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid, C3 and alpha-1-antitrypsin were also positively associated with PM<sub>10</sub>. There were no associations between air pollutants and suPAR, leukocyte counts or CRP. The associations between particles and biomarkers were still significant after removing outliers and adjustment for CRP levels. The associations were more prominent in smokers. Conclusion: Long-term residential exposure to moderate levels of particulate air pollution was associated with several biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. This supports inflammation as a mechanism behind the association between air pollution and cardiovascular disease.</p>}},
  author       = {{Azzouz, Mehjar and Xu, Yiyi and Barregard, Lars and Fagerberg, Björn and Zöller, Bengt and Molnár, Peter and Oudin, Anna and Spanne, Mårten and Engström, Gunnar and Stockfelt, Leo}},
  issn         = {{1476-069X}},
  keywords     = {{Air pollution; Biomarkers; C-reactive protein; Cardiovascular disease; Inflammation; Particulate matter}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source}},
  title        = {{Air pollution and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and inflammation in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12940-022-00851-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12940-022-00851-1}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}