Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2019 Sep;11(5):632-643. 10.4168/aair.2019.11.5.632.

Short-term Haze Exposure Predisposes Healthy Volunteers to Nasal Inflammation

• Xian M
• Wang K
• Lou H
• Wang Y
• Zhang L
• Wang C

• KMID: 2452754
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2019.11.5.632

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate the impact of short-term haze exposure on nasal inflammation in healthy volunteers.
METHODS
Thirty-three healthy university students were assessed for nasal symptoms, nasal patency, upper and lower respiratory tract nitric oxide (NO) as well as inflammatory mediators and neuropeptides in nasal secretions before and after a 5-day haze episode. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated with particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM(2.5)), and cytokines in the supernatants were examined.
RESULTS
Mild nasal symptoms were reported by some participants during the haze episode. Objective measures of nasal patency demonstrated that nasal airway resistance was significantly increased from baseline levels, while nasal cavity volume and minimum cross-sectional area were significantly decreased. Similarly, the levels of nasal and exhaled NO, eotaxin, interleukin (IL)-5, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17, IL-8, substance P, nerve growth factor and vasoactive intestinal peptides in nasal secretions were significantly increased from baseline values following the haze episode. In contrast, the levels of interferon-γ, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β and neuropeptide Y were significantly decreased. Incubation with 0.1-10 μg/mL PM(2.5) significantly increased release of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-8 and IL-10 from PBMCs.
CONCLUSIONS
Short-term haze exposure may lead to nasal inflammation and hypersensitivity in healthy subjects predominantly by Th2 cytokine-mediated immune responses.

Keyword

Air pollution; particulate matter; nasal inflammation; cytokines; neuropeptides

MeSH Terms

Air Pollution
Airway Resistance
Cytokines
Healthy Volunteers*
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Inflammation*
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-4
Interleukin-5
Interleukin-8
Interleukins
Nasal Cavity
Nerve Growth Factor
Neuropeptide Y
Neuropeptides
Nitric Oxide
Particulate Matter
Peptides
Respiratory System
Substance P
Cytokines
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-4
Interleukin-5
Interleukin-8
Interleukins
Nerve Growth Factor
Neuropeptide Y
Neuropeptides
Nitric Oxide
Particulate Matter
Peptides
Substance P

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Time course of 24-hour mean air pollutant concentration in Beijing between March 17th and 29th of 2014. The left Y axis stands for ambient PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2 and O3 (µg/m3); the right Y axis stands for ambient CO (mg/m3). Visits 1 and 2 took place on March 22nd and March 29th, respectively. Before the baseline visit the 24-hour mean PM2.5 concentration was lower than 100 µg/m3 for 5 consecutive days, whereas before the second visit, Beijing had experienced a haze episode for 5 consecutive days with 24-hour mean PM2.5 concentration higher than 100 µg/m3.

• 

  Fig. 2 Changes in nasal patency in each subject before and during the haze episode. (A) NAR, (B) total NCV and (C) MCA (n=33 for each experiment). NAR, nasal airway resistance; NCV, nasal cavity volume; MCA, minimum cross-sectional area.

• 

  Fig. 3 Change in (A) nNO and (B) eNO concentrations in each subject before and during the haze episode (n=33 for each experiment). nNO, nasal nitric oxide; eNO, exhaled nitric oxide.

• 

  Fig. 4 Changes in inflammatory cytokines concentration (pg/mL) in nasal secretions of the participants before and during the haze episode. (A) eotaxin, (B) IL-5, (C) CCL17, (D) IL-8, (E) IFN-γ, (F) IL-10, (G) TGF-β1, (H) TGF-β2 and (I) IL-17 (n=33 for each experiment). IL, interleukin; CCL17, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17; IFN, interferon; TGF, transforming growth factor; NS, not significant.

• 

  Fig. 5 Changes in neuropeptide concentration (pg/mL) in nasal secretions of the participants before and during the haze episode. (A) SP, (B) NGF, (C) VIP and (D) NPY (n=33 for each experiment). SP, substance P; NGF, nerve growth factor; VIP, vasoactive intestinal peptide; NPY, neuropeptide Y.

• 

  Fig. 6 Concentrations (pg/mL) of inflammatory cytokines in supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to phosphate-buffered saline (0 mg/mL), 0.1 mg/mL PM2.5 or 10 mg/mL PM2.5. (A) IL-4, (B) IL-5, (C) IL-1β, (D) IL-8 and (E) IL-10 (n=8 for each experiment). Data on cytokines (IL-13, IL-17A, IL-33, eotaxin, transforming growth factor-βs and IFN-γ), which were not significantly affected by different doses of PM2.5, were not provided here. IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; NS, not significant. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P< 0.001.

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