0000000000010981
AUTHOR
Gaspare Drago
Effect of indoor nitrogen dioxide on lung function in urban environment
BACKGROUND: High levels of indoor NO2 are associated with increased asthma symptoms and decreased expiratory peak flows in children. We investigated the association of exposure to domestic indoor NO2, objectively measured in winter and spring, with respiratory symptoms and lung function in a sample of adolescents from a southern Mediterranean area. METHODS: From a large school population sample (n=2150) participating in an epidemiological survey in the urban area of the City of Palermo (southern Italy), a sub-sample of 303 adolescents was selected which furnished an enriched sample for cases of current asthma. All subjects were evaluated by a health questionnaire, skin prick tests and spiro…
PBDEs affect inflammatory and oncosuppressive mechanisms via the EZH2 methyltransferase in airway epithelial cells
Abstract Aims We aimed to investigate the effect of PBDEs (47, 99, 209) on cellular events involved in epigenetic modification, inflammation, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Materials and methods We studied: 1) ERK1/2 phosphorylation; 2) Enhancer of Zester Homolog 2 (EZH2); 3) Histone H3 tri-methylated in lysine 27 (H3K27me3); 4) K-RAS; 5) silencing disabled homolog 2-interacting protein gene (DAB2IP), 6) let-7a; 7) Muc5AC/Muc5B, and 8) IL-8 in a 3D in vitro model of epithelium obtained with primary Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial cells (pNHBEs) or A549 cell line, chronically exposed to PBDEs (47, 99, 209). Key findings PBDEs (10 nM, 100 nM and 1 μM) increased ERK1/2 phosphor…
Association between greenspace and lung function in Italian children-adolescents
Background: Few studies have examined the impact of urban greenspace exposure on lung function in children-adolescents, and the available evidence is still inconsistent. The aim of the current study was to verify the hypothesis that the effects of greenspace exposure vary with differing levels of lung function of children-adolescents. Methods: Between November 2005 and May 2006, 2150 children-adolescents (age-range: 10-15 years) living in the city of Palermo were enrolled in a cross-sectional survey. Parents were interviewed through a modified version of the Italian Studies on Respiratory Disorders in Children and the Environment (SIDRIA) questionnaire. All children-adolescents performed sp…
Determinants of Allergic Sensitization, Asthma and Lung Function: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in Italian Schoolchildren
Prenatal smoking exposure and early-life respiratory infections are major determinants of asthma during childhood. We investigate the factors influencing allergic sensitization (AS), asthma, and lung function in children and the balance between individual and environmental characteristics at different life stages. 1714 children aged 7&ndash
A CASE STUDY OF THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOLS BELONGING TO AN AREA OF THE SICILIAN ISLAND INTERESTED BY THE PRESENCE OF PETROCHEMICAL REFINERIES
The indoor environmental quality is a topic particularly relevant for schools; this category of confined environments is, indeed, occupied by subjects (i.e. children), which are thought to be more vulnerable than adults to the negative health effects of poor indoor air quality, and whose learning process has long been recognized to be influenced by the quality of the indoor environment. This paper presents results of a study concerning the inside air quality of schools in four small towns sited in the southern part of Sicily, interested by the presence of a petrochemical refinery in the surrounding territory. The performed analysis made it possible to highlight the main criticalities regard…
Indoor air quality in schools of a highly polluted south Mediterranean area
This study aimed at surveying lower secondary schools in southern Italy, in a highly polluted area. A community close to an industrial area and three villages in rural areas was investigated. Indoor temperature, relative humidity (RH), gaseous pollutants (CO 2 and NO 2 ), selected biological pollutants in indoor dust, and the indoor/outdoor mass concentration and elemental composition of PM 2.5 were ascertained. Temperature and RH were within, or close to, the comfort range, while CO 2 frequently exceeded the threshold of 1000 ppm, indicating inadequate air exchange rate. In all the classrooms, median NO 2 levels were above the WHO threshold value. Dermatophagoides p. allergen concentration…
Relationship between domestic smoking and metals and rare earth elements concentration in indoor PM2.5
Cigarette smoke is the main source of indoor chemical and toxic elements. Cadmium (Cd), Thallium (Tl), Lead (Pb) and Antimony (Sb) are important contributors to smoke-related health risks. Data on the association between Rare Earth Elements (REE) Cerium (Ce) and Lanthanum (La) and domestic smoking are scanty. To evaluate the relationship between cigarette smoke, indoor levels of PM2.5 and heavy metals, 73 children were investigated by parental questionnaire and skin prick tests. The houses of residence of 41 "cases" and 32 "controls" (children with and without respiratory symptoms, respectively) were evaluated by 48-hours PM2.5 indoor/outdoor monitoring. PM2.5 mass concentration was determi…