The Effects of Diesel Exhaust and Stress on the Acute Phase Response and Symptoms in the Chemically Intolerant
Abstract
Exposures to diesel exhaust (DE) and other petrochemical combustion products were the exposures reported by the greatest percentage of all Gulf War veterans (GWV) . Along with diesel exhaust and other chemical exposures, psychological stress has been implicated in the onset of unexplained symptoms such as chemical sensitivity among GWV. The purpose of the proposed study is to test a model for chemical sensitivity in GWV, in which simultaneous acute exposures to DE and psychological stress cause increased symptoms via the acute phase response (APR), in susceptible individuals. Individuals who are low or high in the susceptibility factor of chemical intolerance (CI) will be exposed to DE either with or without a public speaking task, an acute psychological stressor. To date, 13 subjects have completed the protocol. The mean concentration in any single diesel exposure remained within +/- 10% of the target PM mass concentration of 3OOmug/m3. Preliminary data indicates that relative to clean air subjects report a small increase in symptoms following the onset of diesel exposure. Analysis of blood cell counts and differentials reveal the reliability of the analytic techniques and compare favorably to normative reference ranges. Analysis of induced sputum cell differential counts show a high proportion of macrophages, verifying that the sputum originated in the airways. The percentages of neutrophils and macrophages are similar to reference values reported in other studies (Spanevello, et al. 2000) . No hypothesis tests can be performed until a larger number of subjects complete the protocol.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA438248
Entities
People
- Howard Kipen
- Junfeng Zhang
- Nancy Fiedler
- Paul Lehrer
- Paul Lioy
- Robert Laumbach