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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Chronic residential exposure to particulate matter air pollution and systemic inflammatory markers
Barbara Hoffmann1, Susanne Moebus, Nico Dragano
1Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. barbara.hoffmann@uk-essen.de
Background:
Long-term exposure to urban air pollution may accelerate atherogenesis, but mechanisms are still unclear. The induction of a low-grade systemic inflammatory state is a plausible mechanistic pathway.
Objectives:
We analyzed the association of residential long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and high traffic with systemic inflammatory markers.
Methods:
We used baseline data from the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, a population-based, prospective cohort study of 4,814 participants that started in 2000. Fine PM [aerodynamic diameter
Results:
In the adjusted analysis, a cross-sectional exposure difference of 3.91 microg/m(3) in PM(2.5) (interdecile range) was associated with increases in hs-CRP of 23.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.1 to 47.4%] and fibrinogen of 3.9% (95% CI, 0.3 to 7.7%) in men, whereas we found no association in women. Chronic traffic exposure was not associated with inflammatory markers. Short-term exposures to air pollutants and temperature did not influence the results markedly.
Conclusions:
Our study indicates that long-term residential exposure to high levels of PM(2.5) is associated with systemic inflammatory markers in men. This might provide a link between air pollution and coronary atherosclerosis.
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