Ambient Pollution Related Reprogramming of the Human Small Airway Epithelial Transcriptome

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that exposure to particulate matter (PM) ambient pollution has adverse effects on lung health, exacerbated by cigarette smoking. Fine airborne particles <2.5 m (PM2.5) are the most harmful of the urban pollutants, and the most closely linked to respiratory disease. Based on the knowledge that the small airway epithelium (SAE) plays a central role in pathogenesis of smoking-related lung disease, we hypothesized that elevated PM2.5 levels are associated with dysregulation of SAE gene expression.

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O'Beirne SL, Shenoy SA, Salit J, Strulovici-Barel Y, Kaner RJ, Visvanathan S, Fine JS, Mezey JG, Crystal RG