Particulate matter and markers of glycemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients: result from Wellcome Trust Genetic study.

There is growing evidence that air pollution is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, information related to whether particulate matter (PM) contributing to worsened metabolic control in T2DM patients is inconsistent. We examined the association of PM10 exposure with glucose-function parameters in young-onset T2DM patients. We investigated the association between a year ambient concentration of PM10 at residential places, using AERMOD dispersion model, with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), 2 h post meal plasma glucose (2hPG), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), ß-cell function (HOMA-ß) and disposition index (DI) in 1213 diabetic patients from the Wellcome Trust Genetic study at the Diabetes Unit, KEM Hospital Research Center, Pune, India. We used linear regression models and adjusted for a variety of individual and environmental confounding variables. Possible effect modification by age, gender, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and smoking status were investigated. Sensitivity analysis assessed the impact of relative humidity (RH) and temperature a day before examination and anti-diabetic and HHR medication (Hydralazine, Hydrochlorothiazide and Reserpine). We found that 1 SD increment in background concentration of PM10 at residential places (43.83 µg/m3) was significantly associated with 2.25 mmol/mol and 0.38 mmol/l increase in arithmetic means of HbA1c and 2hPG, respectively. A similar increase in PM10 was also associated with 4.89% increase in geometric mean of HOMA-IR. The associations remained significant after adjustment to RH and temperature, and WHR and smoking enhanced the size of the effect. Our study suggests that long-term exposure to PM10 is associated with higher glycaemia and insulin resistance. In context of our previous demonstration of association of SO2 and NO x and plasma C-reactive protein, we suggest that air pollution could influence progression of diabetes complications. Prospective studies and interventions are required to define mechanism and confirm causality.

Air pollution and respiratory health among diabetic and non-diabetic subjects in Pune, India-results from the Wellcome Trust Genetic Study.

Diabetics may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of ambient air pollutants than healthy individuals. But, the risk factors that lead to susceptibility to air pollution in diabetics have not yet been identified. We examined the effect of exposure to ambient PM10 on chronic symptoms and the pulmonary function tests (PFT) in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Also, to investigate possible determinants of susceptibility, we recruited 400 type 2 diabetic and 465 healthy subjects who were investigated for chronic respiratory symptoms (CRSs) and then underwent measurement of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1) according to standard protocol. Percent predicted FEV1 and FVC (FEV1% and FVC%, respectively) for each subject were calculated. Particulate matter (PM10) concentrations at residence place of subjects were estimated using AERMOD dispersion model. The association between PM10 and CRSs was explored using logistic regression. We also used linear regression models controlling for potential confounders to study the association between chronic exposure to PM10 and FEV1% and FVC%. Prevalence of current wheezing, allergy symptom, chest tightness, FEV1/FVC <70%, and physician-diagnosed asthma and COPD was significantly higher among diabetic subjects than non-diabetics. There was no significant difference between percent predicted value of PFT among diabetic and non-diabetic subjects (P < 0.05). We estimated that 1 SD increase in PM10 concentration was associated with a greater risk of having dyspnea by 1.50-fold (95% CI, 1.12-2.01). Higher exposure to PM10 concentration was also significantly associated with lower FVC%. The size of effect for 1 SD µg/m3 (=98.38) increase in PM10 concentration was 3.71% (95% CI, 0.48-4.99) decrease in FVC%. In addition, we indicated that strength of these associations was higher in overweight, smoker, and aged persons. We demonstrated a possible contribution of air pollution to reduced lung function independent of diabetes status. This study suggests that decline in exposure may significantly reduce disease manifestation as dyspnea and impaired lung function. We conduct that higher BMI, smoking, and older age were associated with higher levels of air pollution effects.

Systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein) in type 2 diabetic patients is associated with ambient air pollution in Pune City, India.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between ambient air pollutants and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in 1,392 type 2 diabetic patients in Pune, India. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted that linked daily time series of ambient air pollution data (obtained from central monitoring sites) and plasma CRP concentration in type 2 diabetic patients from the Wellcome Trust Genetic (WellGen) Study, recruited between March 2005 and May 2007. Air pollution effects on CRP concentration were investigated with delays (lags) of 0-7 days and multiday averaging spans of 7, 14, and 30 days before blood collection adjusted for age, sex, BMI, hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, treatment with agents with anti-inflammatory action, season, air temperature, and relative humidity. RESULTS: Median CRP concentration was 3.49 mg/L. For 1 SD increase in SO(2) and oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)) concentrations in ambient air, a day before blood collection (lag(1)), we observed a significant increase in CRP (9.34 and 7.77%, respectively). The effect was higher with lag(2) (12.42% for SO(2) and 11.60% for NO(x)) and wore off progressively thereafter. We also found a significant association with multiday averaging times of up to 30 and 7 days for SO(2) and NO(x), respectively. No significant associations were found between particulate matter with an aerodynamic profile ≤10 µm (PM(10)) and CRP concentration except in summer. The association was significantly higher among patients with a shorter duration of diabetes, and in those not on statin and thiazolidinedione treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate, for the first time, a possible contribution of ambient air pollution to systemic inflammation in Indian type 2 diabetic patients. This may have implications for vascular complications of diabetes.

Optimization of medium for lipase production by Acinetobacter haemolyticus from healthy human skin.

A lipase producing Acinetobacter haemolyticus TA106 was isolated from healthy human skin of tribal population. The maximum activity of 55 U/ml was observed after medium optimization using the "one variable at a time" and the statistical approaches. The optimal composition of the medium was determined as (% w/v or v/v): tryptone--1, yeast extract--0.5, sodium chloride-1, olive oil-1, Tween-80 1, manganese sulphate--5 mM, sucrose--1, pH-7. It was found that maximum production occurred in late log phase, i.e., after 72 h and at 200 rpm. From factorial design and statistical analysis, it was found that pH, temperature, salt, inoculum density and aeration significantly affected the lipase production. It was also noted that inoculum density of 3% (v/v), sucrose (1% w/v) and manganese sulphate (5 mM) displayed maximum lipase activity of 55 U/ml by conventional as well as statistical method. Optimization studies also indicated the increase in specific activity from 0.2 U/mg to 6.7 U/mg.

Assessment of air pollution and its effects on the health status of the workers in beam rolling mills factory (Iran National Steel Industrial Group) from Ahvaz-Iran.

BACKGROUND: Air pollutants of iron- and steel-making operations have historically been an environmental and health hazard. These pollutants include gaseous substances such as sulfur oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The Iran National Steel Industrial Group beam rolling mills factory has two production lines viz. line 630 and line 650, with different beam production capabilities and is capable of producing different types of beams. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study on 400 workers in different exposure levels to environmental pollution was performed during 2005 to determine the mean value of respirable particulate matter (RPM) concentrations and its effects on the health status of workers. To elicit information regarding the health status of the worker, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health standard questionnaire was used. Fisher's exact test was performed to assess the relative risk (RR) of exposure to air pollution on cardiovascular diseases, chest tightness, cough, difficulty in retention, i.e. loss of memory, tension, occupational fatigue, and occupational stress in exposed workers. RESULTS: There was significant difference in RPM pollution level between two product lines. The RR of exposure to air pollution on cardiovascular diseases, chest tightness, cough, difficulty in retention, i.e. loss of memory, tension, occupational fatigue, and occupational stress in exposed workers were 2.78, 2.44, 2.15, 1.92, 1.57, 3.90, and 2.09, respectively.

Investigation of respirable particulate matter pollutants on air-breathing zone workers in the Beam Rolling Mills Factory (Iran National Steel Industrial Group), Ahvaz, Iran.

Workers of iron and steel factories are exposed to a wide range of pollutants depending on the particular process, the materials involved, the effectiveness of monitoring and the control measures. Adverse effects are determined by the physical state and propensities of the pollutant involved, the intensity and duration of the exposure, the extent of pollutant accumulation in the body and the sensitivity of the individual to its effects. The main aim of this study is to assess the levels of the indoor respirable particulate matter (RPM) and to compare the health condition of exposed workers, with nonexposed employees group. Line 630 has only one furnace of 40 tons and line 650 has two furnaces of 20 and 40 tons capacity due to which the mean of the RPM concentrations in the breathing zone was significantly different (P < 0.05) in line 650 but not in line 630 as compared with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Hygiene's (3 mg/m(3)). The average of the RPM concentrations in production line 650 is higher than that of production line 630, with the 95% confidence interval in saw cabin station number 1 of production line 650.