Dataset Information

Traffic-related particles are associated with elevated homocysteine: the VA normative aging study.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that homocysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid formed during the metabolism of methionine, is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, and thrombosis. Particulate air pollution has been related to cardiovascular death and hospital admission, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated.

Objectives

We examined the associations between ambient particulate air pollution and plasma concentrations of homocysteine among 960 community-residing older men (mean age, 73.6 +/- 6.9 yr).

Methods

Total homocysteine in plasma, measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, was regressed on each ambient particulate pollutant (black carbon, organic carbon, sulfate or PM(2.5)), and effect modification by plasma and dietary B vitamins (folate, B6, and B12) was examined.

Measurements and main results

The median concentration of total homocysteine was 10.6 micromol/L. Statistically significant positive associations of total homocysteine were observed with traffic-related particles (black carbon and organic carbon). No association was observed with sulfate, an indicator of coal combustion particles, or PM(2.5) (particulate matter < or = 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter). The effects of black carbon and organic carbon were more pronounced in persons with low concentrations of plasma folate and vitamin B12.

Conclusions

Exposures to ambient particles, particularly from traffic, are associated with elevated plasma total homocysteine. Homocysteine may be a component or biological marker of the oxidation pathways underlying the effect of ambient particles on the cardiovascular system.

SUBMITTER: Park SK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2542426 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Traffic-related particles are associated with elevated homocysteine: the VA normative aging study.

Park Sung Kyun SK O'Neill Marie S MS Vokonas Pantel S PS Sparrow David D Spiro Avron A Tucker Katherine L KL Suh Helen H Hu Howard H Schwartz Joel J

American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 20080508 3

<h4>Rationale</h4>Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that homocysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid formed during the metabolism of methionine, is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, and thrombosis. Particulate air pollution has been related to cardiovascular death and hospital admission, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated.<h4>Objectives</h4>We examined the associations between ambient particulate air pollution and plasma concentrations o ...[more]

PMID: 18467508

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Project description:Acute exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with acute changes in cardiac outcomes, often within hours of exposure.We examined the effects of air pollutants on heart-rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), an electrocardiographic marker of ventricular repolarization, and whether these associations were modified by participant characteristics and genetic polymorphisms related to oxidative stress.We studied repeated measurements of QTc on 580 men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS) using mixed-effects models with random intercepts. We fitted a quadratic constrained distributed lag model to estimate the cumulative effect on QTc of ambient air pollutants including fine particulate matter <or= 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations during the 10 hr before the visit. We genotyped polymorphisms related to oxidative stress and analyzed pollution-susceptibility score interactions using the genetic susceptibility score (GSS) method.Ambient traffic pollutant concentrations were related to longer QTc. An interquartile range (IQR) change in BC cumulative during the 10 hr before the visit was associated with increased QTc [1.89 msec change; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.16 to 3.93]. We found a similar association with QTc for an IQR change in 1-hr BC that occurred 4 hr before the visit (2.54 msec change; 95% CI, 0.28-4.80). We found increased QTc for IQR changes in NO2 and CO, but the change was statistically insignificant. In contrast, we found no association between QTc and PM2.5, SO2, and O3. The association between QTc and BC was stronger among participants who were obese, who had diabetes, who were nonsmokers, or who had higher GSSs.Traffic-related pollutants may increase QTc among persons with diabetes, persons who are obese, and nonsmoking elderly individuals; the number of genetic variants related to oxidative stress increases this effect.

Dataset Information

Traffic-related particles are associated with elevated homocysteine: the VA normative aging study.

Rationale

Objectives

Methods

Measurements and main results

Conclusions

Publications

Traffic-related particles are associated with elevated homocysteine: the VA normative aging study.

Similar Datasets

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