[Assessment of in vitro immune response in a young population exposed to atmospheric contamination of Guadalajara].

BACKGROUND: Atmospheric pollutants may cause alterations on health of persons exposed to urban environment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in vitro immunological response in young population exposed to different levels of atmospheric pollution.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The study was performed in two groups of young men, one from Guadalajara, and the other from Tlajomulco. The volunteers had to be healthy and without precedents of atopia. The immunological responses studied on PBMC were: stimulation index by timidin incorporation, CD25 expression by flow citometry, and production of citokines IL-2 and IL-4 by ELISAtest. Atmospheric parameters monitored were: NO2, O3, SO2, CO and PM10.

RESULTS: In Guadalajara the concentrations of NO2 and PM10 exceeded in 30% and 40%, respectively, the index established by WHO. Stimulation index of PBMC of the young men to Guadalajara was 18 +/- 4, whereas that of the volunteers from Tlajomulco was 23 +/- 3. Expression of CD25 did not show a significant difference between studied groups. IL-2 and IL-4 levels were similar between the young men of the city and those from the rural area.

CONCLUSION: The environmental pollution in Guadalajara did not modify in a significant way proliferation, CD25 expression, nor secretion of IL-2 and IL-4 on PBMC. This demonstrates that healthy young men are less susceptible than other groups to the alterations caused by exposure to moderate levels of atmospheric pollutants.