Environmental and Endogenous Acids Can Trigger Allergic-Type Airway Reactions

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Environmental Health
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Inflammatory, allergic, and nonallergic respiratory disorders are globally prevalent and frequently co-occur.
• The underlying etiology of these respiratory conditions remains largely undetermined.
• Existing research points to a potential common biochemical pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the biochemical basis of respiratory disorder multimorbidity.
• To propose a unifying hypothesis for the cause of inflammatory, allergic, and nonallergic respiratory disorders.
• To explore the role of protons (H+) and acids in respiratory disease pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on acid exposure and respiratory responses.
• Biochemical analysis of proton release from exogenous and endogenous acids.
• Examination of the role of phospholipases in endogenous acid generation.
• Correlation of intracellular acidification and calcium (Ca2+) levels with allergic reactions.

Main Results:

• Exogenous acids in air pollutants can trigger airway irritation, inflammation, and bronchospasm.
• Endogenous acids, generated by cellular phospholipases, are implicated in allergic reaction mechanisms.
• Intracellular acidification and subsequent Ca2+ increase are linked to protons from both environmental and endogenous sources.

Conclusions:

• Intracellular acidification due to protons (H+) from exogenous or endogenous acids may be the fundamental mechanism underlying respiratory disorder multimorbidity.
• Environmental acidity could be a contributing factor to the increasing incidence of these disorders.
• This hypothesis provides a biochemical link between environmental exposures and the development of respiratory diseases.