Prothrombotic Biomarkers Are Not Altered by Wood Smoke: A Pilot Controlled Exposure Study.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Cardiovascular Science
• Hematology

Background:

• Wood smoke (WS) inhalation is linked to cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes.
• Vascular occlusion, a key factor in these events, is related to blood clot formation.
• Prothrombotic biomarkers are indicators of the body's clotting activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of acute wood smoke (WS) exposure on circulating prothrombotic biomarkers in healthy humans.
• To assess whether WS exposure influences markers of endogenous procoagulant activity.

Main Methods:

• Healthy subjects were exposed to wood smoke (WS) or filtered air for 2 hours.
• Plasma samples were analyzed for tissue factor-positive extracellular vesicles (TF+EVs), thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT), D-dimer, and thrombin generation potential.
• Statistical analyses were performed to compare biomarker levels between exposure groups and by sex.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in TF+EVs, TAT, D-dimer, or thrombin generation were observed between individuals exposed to WS and those exposed to filtered air.
• Sex-based differences in TAT and D-dimer were noted, but WS exposure did not alter these markers differently in males or females.
• Acute WS exposure did not elevate plasma prothrombotic biomarkers.

Conclusions:

• Acute inhalation of wood smoke (WS) does not appear to increase circulating prothrombotic biomarkers in healthy individuals.
• These findings suggest that short-term WS exposure may not acutely enhance the risk of thrombotic events through these specific pathways.
• Further research may be needed to explore potential long-term effects or impacts on susceptible populations.