Impact of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust on Inflammation Markers and Proteases in Former Smokers with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Crossover Study.

There is growing evidence that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be caused and exacerbated by air pollution exposure. To document the impact of short-term air pollution exposure on inflammation markers, proteases, and antiproteases in the lower airways of older adults with and without COPD. Thirty participants (10 ex-smokers with mild to moderate COPD and 20 healthy participants [9 ex-smokers and 11 never-smokers]), with an average age of 60 years, completed this double-blinded, controlled, human crossover exposure study. Each participant was exposed to filtered air (control) and diesel exhaust (DE), in washout-separated 2-hour periods, in a randomly assigned order. Bronchoscopy was performed 24 hours after exposure to collect lavage. Cell counts were performed on blood and airway samples. ELISAs were performed to measure acute inflammatory proteins, matrix proteinases, and antiproteases in the airway and blood samples. In former smokers with COPD, but not in the other participants, exposure to DE increased serum amyloid A (effect estimate, 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-2.30;  = 0.04) and matrix metalloproteinase 10 (effect estimate, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.38-4.91;  = 0.04) in BAL. Circulating lymphocytes were increased after DE exposure (0.14 [95% CI, 0.05-0.24] cells × 10/L;  = 0.03), irrespective of COPD status. A controlled human crossover study of DE exposure reveals that former smokers with COPD may be susceptible to an inflammatory response compared with ex-smokers without COPD or never-smoking healthy control participants. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02236039).