Heart disease is the leading cause of death and hospitalization among the elderly population, which makes the identification of preventable causes for heart disease morbidity and mortality a major goal of epidemiologic research. Numerous studies have shown associations of outdoor particulate matter (PM) air pollution with cardiovascular hospital admissions and mortality. The causal pollutant components and physiologic mechanisms for these associations are not fully understood. There is evidence that airway inflammation resulting from airway deposition of ultrafine particles (< 0.1 mu/m in diameter) could lead to an increase in thrombogenic and inflammatory activity in the blood, and to a disturbance in cardiovascular function, resulting from oxidant stress responses at extra-pulmonary sites, including the vascular endothelium of the heart. This is expected to increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, particularly in people with underlying coronary heart disease (CHD). We propose to conduct a panel study with repeated measurements to evaluate acute cardiovascular and respiratory health effects of ultrafine PM personal, indoor and outdoor exposures. Over seven month periods, we will follow 72 nonsmoking elderly individuals with CHD living in areas with high air pollution levels in the Los Angeles Air Basin of California. The design will maximize the utility of intensive exposure assessments by measuring multiple interrelated clinical, physiological and biochemical outcomes.
The specific aims will address the following hypotheses: 1) Exposure to ultrafine particles will be associated with increased circulating biomarkers of inflammation and thrombosis, increased blood pressure, adverse cardiac clinical outcomes, and increases in a biomarker of airway inflammation, exhaled nitric oxide; and 2) These associations will be stronger for measurements of particle components and certain ambient sources thought to influence inflammatory processes through oxidant damage. We will also evaluate relationships of outcomes with accumulation mode PM (0.18-2.5 mu/m) and coarse mode PM (2.5-10 fm). We will assess whether estimates of association for predicted (adjusted) personal or indoor exposure to ultrafine or accumulation mode PM of outdoor origin are stronger than estimates of association for unadjusted (raw) personal or indoor exposures. Results of this study will advance knowledge on the cardiovascular and respiratory effects of ultrafine particles. Our results are expected to clarify findings in the literature of associations between ambient particulate air pollution (PM10 and PM2.5) and severe cardiovascular outcomes, including mortality and hospital admissions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES012243-03
Application #
6930615
Study Section
Epidemiology and Disease Control Subcommittee 2 (EDC)
Program Officer
Gray, Kimberly A
Project Start
2003-09-30
Project End
2008-07-31
Budget Start
2005-08-01
Budget End
2006-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$668,992
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
046705849
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697
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Zhang, Xian; Staimer, Norbert; Tjoa, Tomas et al. (2016) Associations between microvascular function and short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and particulate matter oxidative potential. Environ Health 15:81
Wittkopp, Sharine; Staimer, Norbert; Tjoa, Thomas et al. (2016) Nrf2-related gene expression and exposure to traffic-related air pollution in elderly subjects with cardiovascular disease: An exploratory panel study. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 26:141-9
Zhang, Xian; Staimer, Norbert; Gillen, Daniel L et al. (2016) Associations of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers with chemically-characterized air pollutant exposures in an elderly cohort. Environ Res 150:306-319
Shirmohammadi, Farimah; Hasheminassab, Sina; Saffari, Arian et al. (2016) Fine and ultrafine particulate organic carbon in the Los Angeles basin: Trends in sources and composition. Sci Total Environ 541:1083-1096
Shirmohammadi, Farimah; Hasheminassab, Sina; Wang, Dongbin et al. (2015) Oxidative potential of coarse particulate matter (PM(10-2.5)) and its relation to water solubility and sources of trace elements and metals in the Los Angeles Basin. Environ Sci Process Impacts 17:2110-21
Hasheminassab, Sina; Pakbin, Payam; Delfino, Ralph J et al. (2014) Diurnal and seasonal trends in the apparent density of ambient fine and coarse particles in Los Angeles. Environ Pollut 187:1-9
Hasheminassab, Sina; Daher, Nancy; Shafer, Martin M et al. (2014) Chemical characterization and source apportionment of indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) in retirement communities of the Los Angeles Basin. Sci Total Environ 490:528-37
Bartell, Scott M; Longhurst, John; Tjoa, Thomas et al. (2013) Particulate air pollution, ambulatory heart rate variability, and cardiac arrhythmia in retirement community residents with coronary artery disease. Environ Health Perspect 121:1135-41
Khan, Alya; Staimer, Norbert; Tjoa, Thomas et al. (2013) Relations between isoprene and nitric oxide in exhaled breath and the potential influence of outdoor ozone: a pilot study. J Breath Res 7:036007

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