Air pollution and mortality in the Canary Islands: a time-series analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The island factor of the cities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, along with their proximity to Africa and their meteorology, create a particular setting that influences the air quality of these cities and provides researchers an opportunity to analyze the acute effects of air-pollutants on daily mortality.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 2000 to 2004, the relationship between daily changes in PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and ozone levels and daily total mortality and mortality due to respiratory and heart diseases were assessed using Generalized Additive Poisson models controlled for potential confounders. The lag effect (up to five days) as well as the concurrent and previous day averages and distributed lag models were all estimated. Single and two pollutant models were also constructed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Daily levels of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, and SO₂were found to be associated with an increase in respiratory mortality in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and with increased heart disease mortality in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, thus indicating an association between daily ozone levels and mortality from heart diseases. The effects spread over five successive days. SO₂was the only air pollutant significantly related with total mortality (lag 0).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There is a short-term association between current exposure levels to air pollution and mortality (total as well as that due specifically to heart and respiratory diseases) in both cities. Risk coefficients were higher for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality, showing a delayed effect over several days.</p

Desert dust outbreak in the Canary Islands (February 2020): assessment and impacts

World Weather Research Programme (WWRP 2021–1

Baseline Inflammatory Status Reveals Dichotomic Immune Mechanisms Involved In Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Pathology

To ascertain the role of inflammation in the response to ocrelizumab in primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).Multicenter prospective study including 69 patients with PPMS who initiated ocrelizumab treatment, classified according to baseline presence [Gd+, n=16] or absence [Gd-, n=53] of gadolinium-enhancing lesions in brain MRI. Ten Gd+ (62.5%) and 41 Gd- patients (77.4%) showed non-evidence of disease activity (NEDA) defined as no disability progression or new MRI lesions after 1 year of treatment. Blood immune cell subsets were characterized by flow cytometry, serum immunoglobulins by nephelometry, and serum neurofilament light-chains (sNfL) by SIMOA. Statistical analyses were corrected with the Bonferroni formula.More than 60% of patients reached NEDA after a year of treatment, regardless of their baseline characteristics. In Gd+ patients, it associated with a low repopulation rate of inflammatory B cells accompanied by a reduction of sNfL values 6 months after their first ocrelizumab dose. Patients in Gd- group also had low B cell numbers and sNfL values 6 months after initiating treatment, independent of their treatment response. In these patients, NEDA status was associated with a tolerogenic remodeling of the T and innate immune cell compartments, and with a clear increase of serum IgA levels.Baseline inflammation influences which immunological pathways predominate in patients with PPMS. Inflammatory B cells played a pivotal role in the Gd+ group and inflammatory T and innate immune cells in Gd- patients. B cell depletion can modulate both mechanisms.Copyright © 2022 Fernández-Velasco, Monreal, Kuhle, Meca-Lallana, Meca-Lallana, Izquierdo, Oreja-Guevara, Gascón-Giménez, Sainz de la Maza, Walo-Delgado, Lapuente-Suanzes, Maceski, Rodríguez-Martín, Roldán, Villarrubia, Saiz, Blanco, Diaz-Pérez, Valero-López, Diaz-Diaz, Aladro, Brieva, Íñiguez, González-Suárez, Rodríguez de Antonio, García-Domínguez, Sabin, Llufriu, Masjuan, Costa-Frossard and Villar

Temporal patterns and trends of particulate matter over Portugal: a long-term analysis of background concentrations

Air quality management regarding PM concentrations in the atmosphere is a complex problem to tackle. In this paper, we aim to characterize the temporal patterns and trends of aerosol background levels over Portugal. Hourly data from the national air quality monitoring network, gathered from 2007 to 2016, is analyzed using statistical methods. Data from 20 monitoring stations was processed to prepare datasets with different time scales, and results were grouped by their type of surrounding area (urban, suburban, or rural). Urban and suburban background sites are characterized by strong seasonal patterns, with higher monthly mean concentrations in winter than in summer. In contrast, rural background PM10 concentrations are highest during August and September. This study suggests that urban background concentrations are significantly influenced by anthropogenic non-combustion sources, which contribute to the coarser aerosol fraction (PMc). PMc is about 3 μg m−3 higher during weekdays than during Sundays, at urban sites. However, there is no clear relationship between the value of the PM2.5/PMc ratio and the type of monitoring station. During the 10-year period of study, a decrease of 1.83, 3.58, and 4.89%/year was registered in PM10 concentrations at Portuguese rural, urban, and suburban areas, respectively. Despite the higher decrease at suburban monitoring stations, those sites present the highest 10-year mean PM10 concentrations. This work provides an import insight on temporal variations of PM10, PM2.5, and PMc concentrations over Portugal and summarizes trends through the last decade, contributing to the discussion on sources and processes influencing those concentrations.Thanks also are due to the Portuguese Agency for the Environment (APA) and the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDRs) for their effort in establishing and maintaining the air quality monitoring sites used in this investigation.publishe

Adaptive features of natural killer cells in multiple sclerosis

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been recently related with a lower susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). HCMV promotes an adaptive development of NK cells bearing the CD94/NKG2C receptor with a characteristic phenotypic and functional profile. NK cells are proposed to play an immunoregulatory role in MS, and expansion of the NKG2C(+) subset was recently associated with reduced disability progression. To further explore this issue, additional adaptive NK cell markers, i.e., downregulation of FcεRIγ chain (FcRγ) and PLZF transcription factor, as well as antibody-dependent NK cell activation were assessed in controls and MS patients considering HCMV serology and clinical features. In line with previous reports, increased proportions of NKG2C(+), FcRγ(-), and PLZF(-) CD56dim NK cells were found in HCMV(+) cases. However, PLZF(-) NK cells were detected uncoupled from other adaptive markers within the CD56bright subset from HCMV(+) cases and among CD56dim NK cells from HCMV(-) MS patients, suggesting an additional effect of HCMV-independent factors in PLZF downregulation. Interferon-β therapy was associated with lower proportions of FcRγ(-) CD56dim NK cells in HCMV(+) and increased PLZF(-) CD56bright NK cells in HCMV(-) patients, pointing out to an influence of the cytokine on the expression of adaptive NK cell-associated markers. In addition, proportions of NKG2C(+) and FcRγ(-) NK cells differed in progressive MS patients as compared to controls and other clinical forms. Remarkably, an adaptive NK cell phenotype did not directly correlate with enhanced antibody-triggered degranulation and TNFα production in MS in contrast to controls. Altogether, our results provide novel insights into the putative influence of HCMV and adaptive NK cells in MS.This work was supported by grants FIS/PI17/00254, SAF 2016-80363-C2-1-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER), the EU FP7-MINECO Infect-ERA Program (PCIN-2015-191-C02-01), and Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (REEM) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the European Regional Development Fund (Grant RD16/0015/0011), and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness

Adaptive features of natural killer cells in multiple sclerosis

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been recently related with a lower susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). HCMV promotes an adaptive development of NK cells bearing the CD94/NKG2C receptor with a characteristic phenotypic and functional profile. NK cells are proposed to play an immunoregulatory role in MS, and expansion of the NKG2C(+) subset was recently associated with reduced disability progression. To further explore this issue, additional adaptive NK cell markers, i.e., downregulation of FcεRIγ chain (FcRγ) and PLZF transcription factor, as well as antibody-dependent NK cell activation were assessed in controls and MS patients considering HCMV serology and clinical features. In line with previous reports, increased proportions of NKG2C(+), FcRγ(-), and PLZF(-) CD56dim NK cells were found in HCMV(+) cases. However, PLZF(-) NK cells were detected uncoupled from other adaptive markers within the CD56bright subset from HCMV(+) cases and among CD56dim NK cells from HCMV(-) MS patients, suggesting an additional effect of HCMV-independent factors in PLZF downregulation. Interferon-β therapy was associated with lower proportions of FcRγ(-) CD56dim NK cells in HCMV(+) and increased PLZF(-) CD56bright NK cells in HCMV(-) patients, pointing out to an influence of the cytokine on the expression of adaptive NK cell-associated markers. In addition, proportions of NKG2C(+) and FcRγ(-) NK cells differed in progressive MS patients as compared to controls and other clinical forms. Remarkably, an adaptive NK cell phenotype did not directly correlate with enhanced antibody-triggered degranulation and TNFα production in MS in contrast to controls. Altogether, our results provide novel insights into the putative influence of HCMV and adaptive NK cells in MS.This work was supported by grants FIS/PI17/00254, SAF 2016-80363-C2-1-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER), the EU FP7-MINECO Infect-ERA Program (PCIN-2015-191-C02-01), and Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (REEM) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the European Regional Development Fund (Grant RD16/0015/0011), and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness

Adaptive Features of Natural Killer Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

Funding. This work was supported by the EU FP7-MINECO Infect-ERA Program (PCIN-2015-191-C02-01), and Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (REEM) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the European Regional Development Fund (Grant RD16/0015/0011), and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been recently related with a lower susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). HCMV promotes an adaptive development of NK cells bearing the CD94/NKG2C receptor with a characteristic phenotypic and functional profile. NK cells are proposed to play an immunoregulatory role in MS, and expansion of the NKG2C(+) subset was recently associated with reduced disability progression. To further explore this issue, additional adaptive NK cell markers, i.e., downregulation of FcεRIγ chain (FcRγ) and PLZF transcription factor, as well as antibody-dependent NK cell activation were assessed in controls and MS patients considering HCMV serology and clinical features. In line with previous reports, increased proportions of NKG2C(+), FcRγ(-), and PLZF(-) CD56 NK cells were found in HCMV(+) cases. However, PLZF(-) NK cells were detected uncoupled from other adaptive markers within the CD56 subset from HCMV(+) cases and among CD56 NK cells from HCMV(-) MS patients, suggesting an additional effect of HCMV-independent factors in PLZF downregulation. Interferon-β therapy was associated with lower proportions of FcRγ(-) CD56 NK cells in HCMV(+) and increased PLZF(-) CD56 NK cells in HCMV(-) patients, pointing out to an influence of the cytokine on the expression of adaptive NK cell-associated markers. In addition, proportions of NKG2C(+) and FcRγ(-) NK cells differed in progressive MS patients as compared to controls and other clinical forms. Remarkably, an adaptive NK cell phenotype did not directly correlate with enhanced antibody-triggered degranulation and TNFα production in MS in contrast to controls. Altogether, our results provide novel insights into the putative influence of HCMV and adaptive NK cells in MS