Effect of PM2.5 exposure on adhesion molecules and systemic nitric oxide in healthy adults: The role of metals, PAHs, and oxidative potential

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 354; p. 141631
• Main Authors: Kahe, Danian, Sabeti, Zahra, Sarbakhsh, Parvin, Shakerkhatibi, Mohammad, Gholampour, Akbar, Goudarzi, Gholamreza, Sharbafi, Jabraeil, Dastgiri, Saeed, Separham, Ahmad, Seyedrezazadeh, Ensiyeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2024
• Subjects: adhesion; Air pollution; biomarkers; blood serum; Cardiovascular diseases; Coagulation; cross-sectional studies; dithiothreitol; Inflammation; linear models; nitric oxide; Oxidative potential; Particulate matter; suburban areas; toxicity; urban areas; Air pollution; Inflammation; Oxidative potential; Cardiovascular diseases; Particulate matter; Coagulation
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141631

Since there is limited evidence on the impact of PM2.5 content on cardiovascular biomarkers, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 89 healthy adults from October 12 to November 21, 2021. We measured daily PM2.5 in two distinct regions during different time windows: a high-traffic urban area and an industrial suburb. The concentrations of metals, PAHs, and oxidative potential (OP) were determined using ICP-MS, GC-MS, and dithiothreitol (DTT), respectively. Systemic biomarkers, including NO, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, MDA, and CRP, were quantified in each subject simultaneously. A generalized linear model was used to examine the association between PM2.5 toxicity and each health endpoint. Our findings indicated that daily PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the WHO-recommended level by approximately sevenfold. We found that PM2.5 exposure was associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, exposure to PM2.5 mass, total PAHs, and certain trace metals (Ni, Fe, V, As, and Pb) resulted in a decline in serum NO levels. At lag 3, exposure to PM2.5 mass resulted in a significant decrease in NO levels [1.32% (95% CI: −2.27, −0.12)] and total PAHs [2.05% (95% CI: −3.93, −0.12)]. In contrast, OP exhibited a mild correlation with NO level increases. Positive associations were observed between PM2.5 and its chemical constituents (PAHs, As, Cu, OP) and adhesion molecules at different lag times. An increase of 0.16 ppb in PAH concentrations at an interquartile range was associated with a 4.74% decline (95% CI, −7.80, −0.55) in the sVCAM-1 level. However, our study did not reveal any significant trend between pollutants and other biomarkers (sICAM-1, MDA, and CRP). Consequently, our findings suggest that different PM2.5 chemical compositions exhibit diverse behavior in biological responses. [Display omitted] •Various PM2.5 contents had different effects on biomarker levels over time.•Among metals, lead had the greatest effect on reducing nitric oxide (NO).•PM2.5 exposure resulted in a decrease in NO and an increase in sVCAM-1.•Oxidative potential was positively associated with both NO and sVCAM-1.•PAHs caused a decrease in both NO and sVCAM-1 levels in healthy adults.