Stress modifies pulmonary and inflammatory response to ozone: controlled human exposure study

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Ozone exposure causes lung function impairment in healthy individuals.
• Individual responses to ozone vary, with stress being a potential, uncharacterized factor.
• Previous studies suggest stress modifies ozone effects in diseased populations, but controlled human data is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between perceived stress levels and changes in lung function after controlled ozone exposure.
• To assess the relationship between stress and ozone-induced peripheral blood inflammatory markers.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind, crossover study involving 40 healthy adults aged 18-33 years.
• Participants underwent 2-hour exposures to clean air and 300 ppb ozone with intermittent exercise.
• Lung function and inflammatory markers (IL-6, CRP, SAA) were measured, and perceived stress was assessed using the PSS-10 questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Ozone exposure decreased lung function (FEV1, FVC, PEF) and increased inflammatory markers (IL-6, CRP, SAA).
• Higher Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) scores correlated with smaller reductions in FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75%.
• Increased PSS-10 scores were associated with lower ozone-induced levels of IL-6, CRP, and SAA.

Conclusions:

• Perceived stress influences individual lung function and inflammatory responses to ozone.
• Stress acts as a modifiable risk factor contributing to variability in ozone-induced health effects.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering psychological factors in air pollution research.