Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Dietary intake, lung function and airway inflammation in Mexico City school children exposed to air pollutants
Isabelle Romieu1, Albino Barraza-Villarreal, Consuelo Escamilla-Núñez
1Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Mexico. iromieu@correo.insp.mx
Introduction:
Air pollutant exposure has been associated with an increase in inflammatory markers and a decline in lung function in asthmatic children. Several studies suggest that dietary intake of fruits and vegetables might modify the adverse effect of air pollutants.
Methods:
A total of 158 asthmatic children recruited at the Children's Hospital of Mexico and 50 non-asthmatic children were followed for 22 weeks. Pulmonary function was measured and nasal lavage collected and analyzed every 2 weeks. Dietary intake was evaluated using a 108-item food frequency questionnaire and a fruit and vegetable index (FVI) and a Mediterranean diet index (MDI) were constructed. The impact of these indices on lung function and interleukin-8 (IL-8) and their interaction with air pollutants were determined using mixed regression models with random intercept and random slope.
Results:
FVI was inversely related to IL-8 levels in nasal lavage (p < 0.02) with a significant inverse trend (test for trend p < 0.001), MDI was positively related to lung function (p < 0.05), and children in the highest category of MDI had a higher FEV1 (test for trend p < 0.12) and FVC (test for trend p < 0.06) than children in the lowest category. A significant interaction was observed between FVI and ozone for FEV1 and FVC as was with MDI and ozone for FVC. No effect of diet was observed among healthy children.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that fruit and vegetable intake and close adherence to the Mediterranean diet have a beneficial effect on inflammatory response and lung function in asthmatic children living in Mexico City.
More Related Videos
09:33Visualizing Field Data Collection Procedures of Exposure and Biomarker Assessments for the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial in India
Published on: December 23, 2022
08:17Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
Published on: August 25, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Asthma I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features
Asthma-I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
Asthma III: Clinical Manifestations
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease I: Introduction