Immune Imbalance A Byproduct of Air Pollution, Research Suggests

By now, it’s no surprise to many people that air pollution has a negative impact on human health.

But that’s just the most simple, rudimentary explanation of how various types of small particles in the air lead to new or worsening health conditions. Details are needed. We have to understand the context.

In other words, it’s not just whether air pollution is bad for you. It’s how air pollution is bad for you.

And that science keeps progressing. We know a lot more than we did 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, about the impact of various pollutants on human health. We know more about the immune system, too. And allergies. The list goes on. So applying all of that knowledge, especially in the age of AI, can make us better shoppers.

Types of Air Pollution

Before getting into specific health effects of air pollution, we have to delineate different kinds of pollutants, because they affect the body differently.

One class is mold, which can trigger allergies and respiratory problems. For some people, mold exposure can lead to allergic reactions like a runny nose, itchy eyes, and postnasal drip.
Mold spores can worsen asthma, or cause chronic cough or bronchitis-like symptoms or persistent irritation in the airway.  Mold can also inflame the sinuses, sometimes leading to recurring sinusitis.

Then there is the range of pollutants called volatile organic compounds or VOCs. This includes items like formaldehyde and benzene, which can come from things like furniture, building materials or consumer products.

You also have to watch out for PM 2.5, which consists of ultrafine particles that can get embedded in the lungs over time and cause various problems. Read on to see some of the science of how the body reacts to these little microbes, and why it’s important to know more about the air around you. 

Specific Triggers and Immune Responses

Let’s talk a little bit about the effect of PM 2.5, which scientists are studying right now. We are learning a lot more about how these small particles affect the body.

We now know that long-term exposure to PM 2.5 can cause chronic health conditions, many of them related to the lungs.

What we’re still finding out is exactly how this works.

New Science on Air Pollution and Immunology

There’s a new study from Pusan National University School of Medicine in South Korea showing particular ways that PM2.5 particles lead to inflammation and immune response.

There’s something called the NRF2 pathway, which is a particular activation of body responses that cause inflammation. This can explain different types of respiratory distress for someone exposed to a lot of air pollution over a long time frame.

Then there’s something called TH2 response, where helper cells produce a particular reaction that can lead to inflammation. The pollution triggers oxidative stress. Scientists have seen the following result:

• alveolar wall thickening
• immune cell infiltration
• tissue scarring

So scientists are figuring out why inflammation occurs in the body – not just what causes it, but what specific proteins and antigens and pathways are involved, and how that works.

Presumably, when we reverse engineer enough of this stuff, we will come out with medications that work on these particular pathways. Then the healthcare world can really shift medical intervention into being a more powerful solution for these problems – for allergies, for asthma, for COPD and various lung problems.

In the meantime, we can work on the cleanliness of our air and water to promote better overall health for our communities.

Additional Research

There’s more work to be done, though. 

This resource from NIH shows how scientists are still getting to the bottom of this type of activation: 

“Exposure to urban particulate matter (UPM) exacerbates asthmatic lung inflammation. Lung dendritic cells (DCs) are critical for stimulating T cell immunity and in maintaining airway tolerance, but they also react to airway UPM. The adjuvant role of UPM in enhancing primary immune responses by naive cells to allergen has been reported, but the direct effects of UPM-activated DCs on the functionality of human memory CD4 T cells (Tms), which constitute the majority of T cells in the lung, has not been investigated.”

Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Concerns

Many people at a community level are effective in lobbying for cleaner air and controlling things like industrial pollution, vehicle emissions, and more.

But where we have a lot of granular control is inside our homes and businesses. That’s where indoor air can be purified with various types of new technology.

This makes a lot of sense. We spend so much time in our homes – sleeping, eating, relaxing, etc. So cleaning the air there is important.

One good solution is to use an air monitor to see what’s lurking in the indoor air, and then use a modern air purifier with new technology to remediate any pollutants that may cause you harm:

• HEPA filters
• Activated carbon
• UV light technology
• High heat technology
• Chemical bonding technology

Let US Air Purifiers LLC help you to discover the right air purifier machine for your needs. We can help provide more information on design and how to match a given model to a space. Get confidence about the air around you in your home.