Long-term Air Pollution Exposure Triggers Allergic Immune Responses In The Lungs

Air contamination is simply a world wellness concern, pinch complete 90% of nan world's organization breathing aerial that exceeds World Health Organization information standards. Fine and coarse particulate matter are particularly dangerous, arsenic they tin penetrate heavy into nan lungs and bloodstream. While nan nexus betwixt aerial contamination and respiratory diseases is good established, really these pollutants disrupt immune responses successful nan lungs has remained unclear.

In a caller study, a squad of researchers led by Professor Changwan Hong from Pusan National University School of Medicine, South Korea, investigated really semipermanent vulnerability to particulate matter triggers immune imbalance successful nan lungs. "Our study reveals really chronic vulnerability to particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) triggers harmful allergic-like (TH2) immune responses successful nan lungs by activating oxidative accent and nan NRF2 pathway," explains Prof. Hong. This insubstantial was made disposable online connected 8 April 2025 and was published successful Volume 82 of Redox Biology connected 1 May 2025.

Using a rodent model, nan researchers exposed mice to PM10 and PM2.5 regular for 16 weeks. They past analysed lung tissue, plasma, and immune compartment profiles to measure really particulate matter affected lung wellness and immune function. Mice exposed to PM showed important signs of lung inflammation, including alveolar wall thickening, immune compartment infiltration, and insubstantial scarring. These effects were much terrible successful nan group exposed to PM2.5, which is known to scope deeper areas of nan lungs.

The researchers besides observed a marked displacement successful immune response. TH1-type immune activity, associated pinch protective responses, was suppressed, while TH2-associated signals increased. This included elevated levels of cytokines specified arsenic IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and higher levels of IgE and IgG1, antibodies linked to asthma and allergic inflammation. These findings propose that semipermanent vulnerability to PM skews immune equilibrium toward an allergic-type response.

This immune displacement was intimately linked to activation of nan NRF2 pathway, a cardinal regulator of oxidative stress. NRF2 typically protects against biology damage, but nether chronic activation, it appeared to worsen inflammation. "This mechanistic nexus explains why aerial contamination tin worsen asthma and different allergic diseases, identifying NRF2 arsenic a cardinal driver of this shift," Prof. Hong notes.

The study offers penetration into really chronic aerial contamination affects respiratory wellness astatine a molecular level. By linking NRF2 activation to immune reprogramming, nan findings item caller imaginable therapeutic targets, specified arsenic antioxidants aliases narcotics that modulate NRF2 activity.

"Our findings propose that targeting oxidative accent aliases modulating NRF2 activity could beryllium a caller strategy to dainty aliases forestall pollution-induced allergic inflammation, specified arsenic asthma," says Prof. Hong.

Overall, nan investigation provides a clearer knowing of really contamination impacts nan immune strategy and supports nan request for stronger aerial value regulations to protect susceptible populations.