Grants and Fellowships | 2014

36 Small Research Grants Biological Monitoring of Ultrafine Particles in the Airways of Asthmatic Children Exposure to air pollution triggers and exacerbates airway inflammation. Particulate material (PM) in ambient air pollution is characterized by aerodynamic diameter as being coarse (PM 10 , range 2.5-10µm), fine (PM 2.5 , range 0.1-2.5µm) and ultrafine (ultrafine particles [UFP] <0.1 µm). Animal studies have shown that inhaled UFP produce more inflammation than larger inhaled particles. Most of our knowledge on human exposure to PM is based on environmental monitoring. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of individual exposure to UFP on respiratory symptoms, respiratory function and airway inflammation in children aged 6-18 years whowere referred to the Pulmonary andAllergic Diseases Department for evaluation due to respiratory symptoms. After obtaining consent, parents responded to a questionnaire on their child's symptoms. Spirometry, bronchial provocation challenge, induced sputum, and measurement of exhaled nitric oxide was performed. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was collected for analysis of UFP using the NanoSight Light Microscope LM20 by analyzing Brownian motion of the particle. Fifty-two children were included in the study. The total EBC particle count correlated with wheezing (R=0.28, p=0.04), breath symptom score (R=0.3, p=0.03), and sputum eosinophilia (R=0.64, p=0.005). The percent of EBC particles that were in the nano range size also correlated with wheezing (R=0.36, p=0.007), breath symptom score (R=0.33, p=0.02), and sputum eosinophilia (R=0.72, p=0.001). Nanoparticle exposure is correlated with respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation in children. Shira Benor 1 | Shmuel Kivity 1 Elizabeth Fireman 1 1. Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center 2012-2013 Exposure to Air Pollution and Long-Term Incidence of Frailty after Myocardial Infarction: A Pilot Study While exposure to air pollution has been associated with numerous health outcomes, the underlying pathways remain unclear. We evaluated the role of environmental exposures, including air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and neighbourhood socioeconomic context, in the development of frailty - a multidimensional age-related syndrome that indicates increasing vulnerability - in a cohort of first myocardial infarction (MI) survivors. Our results demonstrate a relationship between exposure to PM and frailty, providing a potential pathway with post-MI outcomes. The significant association suggests that chronic exposure to PM might affect multiple physiological systems in vulnerable MI patients, contributing to excess mortality not just through single processes, but by a broader assault on bodily systems. We further determined that frailer MI patients might be more sensitive to the adverse health effects of air pollution. These data provide evidence of the adverse health effects of chronic exposure to PM 2.5 among MI survivors residing in central Israel. Research publications (1) Myers, V., Broday, D.M., Steinberg, D.M., Yuval, Drory, Y., & Gerber, Y. (2013). Exposure to particulate air pollution and long-term incidence of frailty after myocardial infarction. Annals of Epidemiology, 23 (7), 395-400. (2) Gerber, Y., Myers, V., Broday, D.M., Steinberg, D.M., Yuval, Koton, S., et al. (2014). Frailty status modifies the association between air pollution and post-myocardial infarction mortality: A 20-year follow-up study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 63 (16), 1698-1699. (3) Myers, V., Drory, Y., Goldbourt, U., & Gerber, Y. (2014). Multilevel socioeconomic status and incidence of frailty post myocardial infarction. International Journal of Cardiology, 170 (3), 338-343. Yariv Gerber 1 | David Broday 2 Vicki Myers 1 Yaacov Drory (deceased) 1 1. Tel Aviv University 2. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology 2012-2013