The Toxic Effects of Petroleum Diesel, Biodiesel, and Renewable Diesel Exhaust Particles on Human Alveolar Epithelial Cells.

The use of alternative diesel fuels has increased due to the demand for renewable energy sources. There is limited knowledge regarding the potential health effects caused by exhaust emissions from biodiesel- and renewable diesel-fueled engines. This study investigates the toxic effects of particulate matter (PM) emissions from a diesel engine powered by conventional petroleum diesel fuel (SD10) and two biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels in vitro.

Exposure to source-specific air pollution in residential areas and its association with dementia incidence: a cohort study in Northern Sweden.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between source-specific ambient particulate air pollution concentrations and the incidence of dementia. The study encompassed 70,057 participants from the Västerbotten intervention program cohort in Northern Sweden with a median age of 40 years at baseline. High-resolution dispersion models were employed to estimate source-specific particulate matter (PM) concentrations, such as PM and PM from traffic, exhaust, and biomass (mainly wood) burning, at the residential addresses of each participant.

In vitro toxicity evaluation in A549 cells of diesel particulate matter from two different particle sampling systems and several resuspension media.

In urban areas, inhalation of fine particles from combustion sources such as diesel engines causes adverse health effects. For toxicity testing, a substantial amount of particulate matter (PM) is needed. Conventional sampling involves collection of PM onto substrates by filtration or inertial impaction.

Severe asthma trajectories in adults: findings from the NORDSTAR cohort.

Background: There is limited evidence on the pathways leading to severe asthma and we are presently unable to effectively predict the progression of the disease. We aimed to describe the longitudinal trajectories leading to severe asthma and to describe clinical events preceding disease progression in a nationwide population of patients with severe asthma.

Methods: We conducted an observational study based on Swedish data from the NORdic Dataset for aSThmA Research (NORDSTAR) research collaboration platform.

Reduced bronchoalveolar macrophage phagocytosis and cytotoxic effects after controlled short-term exposure to wood smoke in healthy humans.

Background: Exposure to wood smoke has been shown to contribute to adverse respiratory health effects including airway infections, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. A preceding study failed to confirm any acute inflammation or cell influx in bronchial wash (BW) or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) 24 h after wood smoke exposure but showed unexpected reductions in leukocyte numbers. The present study was performed to investigate responses at an earlier phase, regarding potential development of acute inflammation, as well as indications of cytotoxicity.

Comparable Response Following Exposure to Biodiesel and Diesel Exhaust Particles in Advanced Multicellular Human Lung Models.

Biodiesel is considered to be a sustainable alternative for fossil fuels such as petroleum-based diesel. However, we still lack knowledge about the impact of biodiesel emissions on humans, as airways and lungs are the primary target organs of inhaled toxicants. This study investigated the effect of exhaust particles from well-characterized rapeseed methyl ester (RME) biodiesel exhaust particles (BDEP) and petro-diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC) and macrophages (MQ).

Stratification of asthma by lipidomic profiling of induced sputum supernatant.

Background: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with significant heterogeneity in its clinical presentation and pathobiology. There is need for improved understanding of respiratory lipid metabolism in asthma patients and its relation to observable clinical features.

Objective: We performed a comprehensive, prospective, cross-sectional analysis of the lipid composition of induced sputum supernatant obtained from asthma patients with a range of disease severities, as well as from healthy controls.

Comorbid conditions as predictors of mortality in severe COPD - an eight-year follow-up cohort study.

Purpose: Co-morbidities are common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of several comorbid conditions in severe COPD, and to investigate and compare their associations with long-term mortality.

Methods: In May 2011 to March 2012, 241 patients with COPD stage 3 or 4 were included in the study.

Determinants of Severe Asthma - A Long-Term Cohort Study in Northern Sweden.

Background: Risk factors for severe asthma are not well described. The aim was to identify clinical characteristics and risk factors at study entry that are associated with severe asthma at follow-up in a long-term prospective population-based cohort study of adults with asthma.

Methods: Between 1986 and 2001, 2055 adults with asthma were identified by clinical examinations of population-based samples in northern Sweden.

Cold air exposure at - 15 °C induces more airway symptoms and epithelial stress during heavy exercise than rest without aggravated airway constriction.

Purpose: Exposure to cold air may harm the airways. It is unclear to what extent heavy exercise adds to the cold-induced effects on peripheral airways, airway epithelium, and systemic immunity among healthy individuals. We investigated acute effects of heavy exercise in sub-zero temperatures on the healthy airways.

Clinical and transcriptomic features of persistent exacerbation-prone severe asthma in U-BIOPRED cohort.

Background: Exacerbation-prone asthma is a feature of severe disease. However, the basis for its persistency remains unclear.

Objectives: To determine the clinical and transcriptomic features of frequent exacerbators (FEs) and persistent FEs (PFEs) in the U-BIOPRED cohort.

TUBE Project: Transport-Derived Ultrafines and the Brain Effects.

The adverse effects of air pollutants on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are unquestionable. However, in recent years, indications of effects beyond these organ systems have become more evident. Traffic-related air pollution has been linked with neurological diseases, exacerbated cognitive dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease.

Plasma proteins elevated in severe asthma despite oral steroid use and unrelated to Type-2 inflammation.

Rationale: Asthma phenotyping requires novel biomarker discovery.

Objectives: To identify plasma biomarkers associated with asthma phenotypes by application of a new proteomic panel to samples from two well-characterised cohorts of severe (SA) and mild-to-moderate (MMA) asthmatics, COPD subjects and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: An antibody-based array targeting 177 proteins predominantly involved in pathways relevant to inflammation, lipid metabolism, signal transduction and extracellular matrix was applied to plasma from 525 asthmatics and HCs in the U-BIOPRED cohort, and 142 subjects with asthma and COPD from the validation cohort BIOAIR.

Acute cardiovascular effects of controlled exposure to dilute Petrodiesel and biodiesel exhaust in healthy volunteers: a crossover study.

Background: Air pollution derived from combustion is associated with considerable cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality in addition to environmental effects. Replacing petrodiesel with biodiesel may have ecological benefits, but impacts on human health remain unquantified. The objective was to compare acute cardiovascular effects of blended and pure biodiesel exhaust exposure against known adverse effects of petrodiesel exhaust (PDE) exposure in human subjects.

Acute Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Increases Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Humans.

Background Diesel exhaust (DE) emissions are a major contributor to ambient air pollution and are strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exposure to traffic-related particulate matter is linked with acute adverse cardiovascular events; however, the mechanisms are not fully understood. We examined the role of the autonomic nervous system during exposure to DE that has previously only been indirectly investigated.

An experimental exposure study revealing composite airway effects of physical exercise in a subzero environment.

Exposure to a cold climate is associated with an increased morbidity and mortality, but the specific mechanisms are largely unknown. People with cardiopulmonary disease and winter endurance athletes are particularly vulnerable. This study aimed to map multiple domains of airway responses to exercise in subzero temperature in healthy individuals.

FEV decline in relation to blood eosinophils and neutrophils in a population-based asthma cohort.

Background: The relationship between lung function decline and eosinophils and neutrophils has important therapeutic implications among asthmatics, but it has rarely been studied in large cohort studies.

Objective: The aim is to study the relationship between blood eosinophils and neutrophils and FEV decline in a long-term follow-up of a population-based adult asthma cohort.

Methods: In 2012-2014, an adult asthma cohort was invited to a follow-up including spirometry, blood sampling, and structured interviews, and n = 892 participated (55% women, mean age 59 y, 32-92 y).

Brake dust exposure exacerbates inflammation and transiently compromises phagocytosis in macrophages.

Studies have emphasised the importance of combustion-derived particles in eliciting adverse health effects, especially those produced by diesel vehicles. In contrast, few investigations have explored the potential toxicity of particles derived from tyre and brake wear, despite their significant contributions to total roadside particulate mass. The objective of this study was to compare the relative toxicity of compositionally distinct brake abrasion dust (BAD) and diesel exhaust particles (DEP) in a cellular model that is relevant to human airways.