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Published on: August 25, 2017
Arterial stiffness, oxidative stress, and smoke exposure in wildland firefighters
Denise M Gaughan1, Paul D Siegel, Michael D Hughes
1Department of Preventive Medicine and the Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Environmental Health (Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
Objectives:
To assess the association between exposure, oxidative stress, symptoms, and cardiorespiratory function in wildland firefighters.
Methods:
We studied two Interagency Hotshot Crews with questionnaires, pulse wave analysis for arterial stiffness, spirometry, urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoprostane) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and the smoke exposure marker (urinary levoglucosan). Arterial stiffness was assessed by examining levels of the aortic augmentation index, expressed as a percentage. An oxidative stress score comprising the average of z-scores created for 8-OHdG and 8-isoprostane was calculated.
Results:
Mean augmentation index % was higher for participants with higher oxidative stress scores after adjusting for smoking status. Specifically for every one unit increase in oxidative stress score the augmentation index % increased 10.5% (95% CI: 2.5, 18.5%). Higher mean lower respiratory symptom score was associated with lower percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity.
Conclusions:
Biomarkers of oxidative stress may serve as indicators of arterial stiffness in wildland firefighters.
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