TY - JOUR
T1 - Intranasal levels of lead as an exacerbation factor for allergic rhinitis in humans and mice
AU - Xu, Huadong
AU - Ohgami, Nobutaka
AU - Sakashita, Masafumi
AU - Ogi, Kazuhiro
AU - Hashimoto, Kazunori
AU - Tazaki, Akira
AU - Tong, Keming
AU - Aoki, Masayo
AU - Fujieda, Shigeharu
AU - Kato, Masashi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Background: Air pollutants are suspected to affect pathological conditions of allergic rhinitis (AR). Objectives: After detecting Pb (375 μg/kg) in Japanese cedar pollen, the effects of intranasal exposure to Pb on symptoms of AR were investigated. Methods: Pollen counts, subjective symptoms, and Pb levels in nasal epithelial lining fluid (ELF) were investigated in 44 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis and 57 controls from preseason to season. Effects of intranasal exposure to Pb on symptoms were confirmed by using a mouse model of AR. Results: Pb levels in ELF from patients were >40% higher than those in ELF from control subjects during the pollen season but not before the pollen season. Pb level in ELF was positively associated with pollen counts for the latest 4 days before visiting a hospital as well as scores of subjective symptoms. Intranasal exposure to Pb exacerbated symptoms in allergic mice, suggesting Pb as an exacerbation factor. Pb levels in ELF and nasal mucosa in Pb-exposed allergic mice were higher than those in Pb-exposed nonallergic mice, despite intranasally challenging the same amount of Pb. Because the increased Pb level in the nasal mucosa of Pb-exposed allergic mice was decreased after washing the nasal cavity, Pb on the surface of but not inside the nasal mucosa may have been a source of increased Pb level in ELF of allergic mice. Conclusions: Increased nasal Pb level partially derived from pollen could exacerbate subjective symptoms of AR, indicating Pb as a novel hazardous air pollutant for AR.
AB - Background: Air pollutants are suspected to affect pathological conditions of allergic rhinitis (AR). Objectives: After detecting Pb (375 μg/kg) in Japanese cedar pollen, the effects of intranasal exposure to Pb on symptoms of AR were investigated. Methods: Pollen counts, subjective symptoms, and Pb levels in nasal epithelial lining fluid (ELF) were investigated in 44 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis and 57 controls from preseason to season. Effects of intranasal exposure to Pb on symptoms were confirmed by using a mouse model of AR. Results: Pb levels in ELF from patients were >40% higher than those in ELF from control subjects during the pollen season but not before the pollen season. Pb level in ELF was positively associated with pollen counts for the latest 4 days before visiting a hospital as well as scores of subjective symptoms. Intranasal exposure to Pb exacerbated symptoms in allergic mice, suggesting Pb as an exacerbation factor. Pb levels in ELF and nasal mucosa in Pb-exposed allergic mice were higher than those in Pb-exposed nonallergic mice, despite intranasally challenging the same amount of Pb. Because the increased Pb level in the nasal mucosa of Pb-exposed allergic mice was decreased after washing the nasal cavity, Pb on the surface of but not inside the nasal mucosa may have been a source of increased Pb level in ELF of allergic mice. Conclusions: Increased nasal Pb level partially derived from pollen could exacerbate subjective symptoms of AR, indicating Pb as a novel hazardous air pollutant for AR.
KW - Air pollutant
KW - Japanese cedar pollen
KW - exacerbation factor
KW - intranasal exposure
KW - lead
KW - seasonal allergic rhinitis
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.03.019
DO - 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.03.019
M3 - Article
C2 - 33766551
AN - SCOPUS:85104368997
SN - 0091-6749
VL - 148
SP - 139-147.e10
JO - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
IS - 1
ER -