Are metals and pyrene levels additional factors playing a pivotal role in air pollution-induced inflammation in taxi drivers?

Bruna Gauer; Natália Brucker; Anelise Barth; Marcelo D Arbo; Adriana Gioda; Flávia V Thiesen; Jessica Nardi; Solange C Garcia

doi:10.1039/c7tx00203c

Are metals and pyrene levels additional factors playing a pivotal role in air pollution-induced inflammation in taxi drivers?

Toxicol Res (Camb). 2017 Oct 10;7(1):8-12. doi: 10.1039/c7tx00203c. eCollection 2018 Jan 1.

Authors

Bruna Gauer^{1

2}, Natália Brucker³, Anelise Barth¹, Marcelo D Arbo^{1

2}, Adriana Gioda⁴, Flávia V Thiesen⁵, Jessica Nardi^{1

2}, Solange C Garcia^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Toxicology (LATOX) , Department of Analysis , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul , Av. Ipiranga 2752 , 90610-000 , Porto Alegre , RS , Brazil . Email: solange.garcia@ufrgs.br ; ; Tel: (+55)51 3308-5297.
² Post-Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul , Av. Ipiranga 2752 , 90610-000 , Porto Alegre , RS , Brazil.
³ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , Federal University of Santa Maria , Roraima 1000 , 97105-900 , Santa Maria , RS , Brazil.
⁴ Department of Chemistry , Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) , Rua Marquês de São Vicente 225 , 22451-900 , Rio de Janeiro , RJ , Brazil.
⁵ Pharmacy Faculty and Toxicology Institute , Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul , Av. Ipiranga 6681 , 90619-900 , Porto Alegre , RS , Brazil.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate which xenobiotic (As, Hg, Pb or pyrenes) is primarily responsible for the inflammatory process in taxi drivers. Multiple regression analysis showed that Hg is the main xenobiotic responsible for the increase of cytokine levels. These associations suggest that co-exposure to pollutants could be a risk factor for health effects.