This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 200205-399OCv1 166/9/1240    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brown, J. S. Articles by Bennett, W. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brown, J. S. Articles by Bennett, W. D.

Ultrafine Particle Deposition and Clearance in the Healthy and Obstructed Lung

Center for Environmental Medicine and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to James S. Brown, Ph.D., Center for Environmental Medicine and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 104 Mason Farm Road, CB# 7310, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7310. E-mail: brown.james{at}epa.gov

Numerous epidemiologic studies have shown associations between exposure to particulate air pollution and acute increases in morbidity and mortality, particularly in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The dosimetry of ultrafine particles in the human lung is poorly characterized. We studied the deposition and clearance of an ultrafine technetium-99m–labeled aerosol in 10 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in 9 healthy subjects. Particle retention was followed for 2 hours after inhalation and again at 24 hours by scintigraphy. Central-to-peripheral ratios indexed airway deposition. Particle accumulation in the liver was examined by quantifying activity below the right lung. The dose rate for an aerosol exposure of 10 µg/m³ was calculated. Patients had a significantly greater dose rate than healthy subjects (2.9 ± 1.0 versus 1.9 ± 0.4 µg/h, p = 0.02). Central-to-peripheral ratios were slightly greater in patients than in healthy subjects (1.11 ± 0.10 versus 1.01 ± 0.11, p = 0.05). Clearance did not statistically differ between health and disease. On average, 24-hour retention was 85 ± 8% (corrected for isotope dissolution). No accumulation in the liver's vicinity was observed. Data suggest that relative to healthy subjects, patients with moderate-to-severe airways obstruction receive an increased dose from ultrafine particle exposure.

Key Words: aerosols • mucociliary clearance • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Geys, R. De Vos, B. Nemery, and P. H. M. Hoet In vitro translocation of quantum dots and influence of oxidative stress Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, November 1, 2009; 297(5): L903 - L911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. K. Saxena, M. I. Gilmour, M. C. Schladweiler, M. McClure, M. Hays, and U. P. Kodavanti Differential Pulmonary Retention of Diesel Exhaust Particles in Wistar Kyoto and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Toxicol. Sci., October 1, 2009; 111(2): 392 - 401. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. F. Folino, M. L. Scapellato, C. Canova, P. Maestrelli, G. Bertorelli, L. Simonato, S. Iliceto, and M. Lotti Individual exposure to particulate matter and the short-term arrhythmic and autonomic profiles in patients with myocardial infarction Eur. Heart J., July 1, 2009; 30(13): 1614 - 1620. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Gorbunov, N. D. Priest, R. B. Muir, P. R. Jackson, and H. Gnewuch A Novel Size-Selective Airborne Particle Size Fractionating Instrument for Health Risk Evaluation Ann. Hyg., April 1, 2009; 53(3): 225 - 237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Card, D. C. Zeldin, J. C. Bonner, and E. R. Nestmann Pulmonary applications and toxicity of engineered nanoparticles Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, September 1, 2008; 295(3): L400 - L411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Geiser, M. Casaulta, B. Kupferschmid, H. Schulz, M. Semmler-Behnke, and W. Kreyling The Role of Macrophages in the Clearance of Inhaled Ultrafine Titanium Dioxide Particles Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., March 1, 2008; 38(3): 371 - 376. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. L. Mills, G. Oberdorster, and D. E. Newby Reducing Exposure to Airborne Particles: A Novel Strategy to Improve Cardiovascular Health Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 15, 2008; 177(4): 366 - 367. [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Moller, K. Felten, K. Sommerer, G. Scheuch, G. Meyer, P. Meyer, K. Haussinger, and W. G. Kreyling Deposition, Retention, and Translocation of Ultrafine Particles from the Central Airways and Lung Periphery Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 15, 2008; 177(4): 426 - 432. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. T. Stern and S. E. McNeil Nanotechnology Safety Concerns Revisited Toxicol. Sci., January 1, 2008; 101(1): 4 - 21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Weichenthal, A. Dufresne, and C. Infante-Rivard Review: Indoor Nitrogen Dioxide and VOC Exposures: Summary of Evidence for an Association with Childhood Asthma and a Case for the Inclusion of Indoor Ultrafine Particle Measures in Future Studies Indoor and Built Environment, October 1, 2007; 16(5): 387 - 399. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Wiebert, A. Sanchez-Crespo, J. Seitz, R. Falk, K. Philipson, W. G. Kreyling, W. Moller, K. Sommerer, S. Larsson, and M. Svartengren Negligible clearance of ultrafine particles retained in healthy and affected human lungs Eur. Respir. J., August 1, 2006; 28(2): 286 - 290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. L. Mills, N. Amin, S. D. Robinson, A. Anand, J. Davies, D. Patel, J. M. de la Fuente, F. R. Cassee, N. A. Boon, W. MacNee, et al. Do Inhaled Carbon Nanoparticles Translocate Directly into the Circulation in Humans? Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 15, 2006; 173(4): 426 - 431. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Nel, T. Xia, L. Madler, and N. Li Toxic Potential of Materials at the Nanolevel Science, February 3, 2006; 311(5761): 622 - 627. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Tsuji, A. D. Maynard, P. C. Howard, J. T. James, C.-w. Lam, D. B. Warheit, and A. B. Santamaria Research Strategies for Safety Evaluation of Nanomaterials, Part IV: Risk Assessment of Nanoparticles Toxicol. Sci., January 1, 2006; 89(1): 42 - 50. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Tobin Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pollution, Pulmonary Vascular Disease, Transplantation, Pleural Disease, and Lung Cancer in AJRCCM 2002 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 1, 2003; 167(3): 356 - 370. [Full Text] [PDF]