Particulate air pollution is associated with an acute phase response in men - Results from the MONICA-Augsburg Study

Episodes of increased air pollution are associated with increases in hospit al admissions for cardiovascular disease. Even modest acute phase responses are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. The study in vestigates whether induction of an acute phase response by exposure to air pollution may contribute to cardiovascular pathology. Methods and Results A prospective cohort study based on a survey in 1984/85 with a 3-year follow-up was conducted in 631 randomly selected men aged 45 to 64 years free of cardiovascular disease at entry 1954/85. Serum C-react ive protein concentrations were determined by a high sensitivity immunoradi ometric assay. C-reactive protein concentration was increased in associatio n with the 1985 air pollution episode. In multivariate analyses, elevated c oncentrations were independently associated with concentrations of total su spended particles and the sulphur dioxide episode. At ambient concentration s of pollution, as noted during the 1985 air pollution episode, the odds of observing C-reactive protein concentrations above 5.7mg.l(-1) (> 90th perc entile) tripled, and increases of 26 mug.m(-3) total suspended particles (m ean of 5 days) raised the odds of C-reactive protein levels 50% above the 9 0th percentile. Conclusions Exposure to current levels of particulate matter in the atmosph ere elicits an acute phase response in randomly selected healthy middle-age d men, which may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk caused by air pollution. (C) 2001 The European Society of Cardiology.