Correlation between respiratory alterations and respiratory diseases due to urban pollution.

BACKGROUND

Air pollution is strongly correlated with allergic and infectious diseases. Chronicity of the stimulation and immaturity of the defense system make children prone to respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the adverse effects of urban levels of air pollution, correlating children's respiratory diseases and ultrastructural studies in rats, compared to controls in a clean area.

METHODS

An epidemiological survey was conducted with 2000 school children (age range 7-14 years old), divided into two groups of 1000 children each: the Red group from São Paulo city (17,000,000 inhabitants) and the Green group from a rural area around the city of Tupã with no air pollution at all. A questionnaire was given to the children's parents in order to estimate history of respiratory diseases and predisposing factors. A total of 69 rats were housed for 6 months in the center of São Paulo, and ultrastructural studies of the epithelium of the airways were done and compared to 56 control animals in the rural area.

RESULTS

The Red group of children had a statistically significant (P < 0.005) high prevalence of respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory infections (URI). Rats exposed to air pollution developed ultrastructural ciliary alterations.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in the present investigation suggest that chronic exposure to urban levels of air pollution may cause respiratory diseases in children and ultrastructural ciliary alterations in the epithelium of the airways in rats, when compared to controls in a pollution-free rural area.