Diesel Exhaust Could Worsen Existing Lung Disease, Affects Immune System

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Diesel Exhaust Could Worsen Existing Lung Disease, Affects Immune System

Diesel is responsible for more exhaust-associated health damage. It has been learned that it affects the immune system and could worsen the condition of those who already have lung disease.

Diesel Affects Immune System

According to an earlier University of Oxford study, diesel automobiles are generally 20 times more likely than electric cars to cause exhaust-related health problems and at least five times more than petrol vehicles.

It is previously known that diesel exhaust particulate matter aggravates cardiac problems, several forms of cancer, and lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, recent findings from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicate that it may also impact our immune system.

In the new study, the researchers separated a subset of immature white blood cells- white blood cells that haven't yet fully specialized for a particular role- from blood samples taken from healthy individuals.

Before the cells were exposed to diesel exhaust particles, they were given time to grow and mature.

The exposed cells exhibited "dampened" phagocytotic activity, indicating they were less capable of swallowing bacteria and infected cells. Additionally, the exposed cells were reprogrammed to generate a lot of inflammatory chemicals, which can potentially damage tissue.

According to the researchers, these results can be especially worrisome for people already experiencing a respiratory infection. The researchers concluded that because reprogrammed white blood cells are highly inflammatory but not very antimicrobial, they may be a significant factor in the detrimental health effects accompanying lung infection and particulate matter exposure.

Lead author Ilona Jaspers, a professor at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, said the evidence of a negative correlation between air pollution exposure and declining health outcomes is persistent. The findings may draw greater attention to this specific subset of macrophages and provide novel avenues for therapeutic intervention to sustain healthy macrophage function, improving immune responses and mitigating disease severity.

ALSO READ: Lung Cancer Linked to Air Pollution: Scientists Demonstrate How Vehicle Exhaust, Smoke May Trigger the Chronic Illness in 'Never Smokers'

Air Pollution Contributes To Bone Damage

A group of environmental health specialists led by Dr. Diddier Prada of Columbia University in New York, NY, found that exposure to nitrogen oxides caused a five-year decrease in women's bone mineral density when measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Reducing exposure to air pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides, will prevent bone fractures, slow the degradation of postmenopausal women's bones, and lower the financial burden of osteoporosis, according to Prada and colleagues.

Another study learned that osteoporosis, which is known to be impacted by environmental exposures, is more common in postmenopausal women.

The researchers consider it an urgent priority to evaluate the impact of pollutants from the air and their mixtures on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women because earlier epidemiological studies on individual pollutants have suggested detrimental effects on older people's osteoporosis risk, fractures, and bone mineral density. They did note, though, that no specific research on postmenopausal women has been conducted.