Ghio A J, Devlin R B
Clinical Research Branch, Human Studies Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27599-7315, USA.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001 Aug 15;164(4):704-8. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.164.4.2011089.
Epidemiologic investigation has established an association between exposure to particulate matter (PM) and human health in the Utah Valley. Reduction of particle mass during the temporary closure of a local steel mill was associated with diminished morbidity and mortality. We tested the hypothesis that the biologic effect of PM would reflect findings of epidemiology with a greater injury after exposure to an equal mass of particles from those years in which the mill was in operation. Filters containing PM were collected prior to closure of the steel mill, during the closure, and after its reopening. Aqueous extracts of the filters were prepared. One of three extracts (500 microg) was instilled through the bronchoscope into the lungs of nonsmoking volunteers. Twenty-four hours later, the same subsegment was lavaged. Exposure to aqueous extracts of PM collected before closure and after reopening of the steel mill provoked a greater inflammatory response relative to PM extract acquired during the plant shutdown. This is the first demonstration that pulmonary effects after experimental exposure of humans to PM can correlate with health outcomes observed in epidemiologic studies of the same material under normal exposure conditions. Findings suggest that mass may not be the most appropriate metric to use in assessing health effects after PM exposure but rather specific components must be identified and assessed.
流行病学调查已证实，犹他山谷地区的颗粒物（PM）暴露与人类健康之间存在关联。当地一家钢铁厂临时关闭期间颗粒物质量的减少与发病率和死亡率的降低相关。我们检验了这样一个假设：PM的生物学效应将反映流行病学的研究结果，即暴露于钢厂运营年份中同等质量的颗粒物后，会造成更严重的损伤。在钢厂关闭前、关闭期间和重新开业后收集含有PM的过滤器。制备过滤器的水提取物。将三种提取物之一（500微克）通过支气管镜滴入不吸烟志愿者的肺部。24小时后，对同一肺段进行灌洗。与工厂关闭期间获取的PM提取物相比，暴露于钢厂关闭前和重新开业后收集的PM水提取物会引发更强烈的炎症反应。这首次证明，人类实验性暴露于PM后的肺部效应可能与正常暴露条件下对相同物质进行流行病学研究时观察到的健康结果相关。研究结果表明，质量可能不是评估PM暴露后健康影响的最合适指标，而必须识别和评估特定成分。
