The Effects of Diesel Exhaust and Stress on the Acute Phase Response and 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. 100 subjects have completed the protocol. 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 and soluble markers reveal the reliability of the analytic techniques and compare favorably to normative reference ranges. Analysis of induced sputum cell differential counts showed that a minority of subjects (N=19) were able to produce two adequate sputum samples. Tests of study hypotheses are pending completion of assays for soluble markers in collected blood, sputum and nasal lavage samples, and ongoing statistical analysis and interpretation of results.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA476085
Entities
People
- Nancy Fideler
Organizations
- University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey