Adverse Health Effects from Combustion-Derived Nanoparticles: The Relative Role of Intrinsic Particle Toxicity and Host Response

Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma

“…Recent reports have suggested that individual susceptibility could play a previously unsuspected role in the occurrence of diseases ( Cetta et al 2009a ), perhaps a role greater than that of the intrinsic toxicity of pollutants ( Cetta et al 2009b ). This could explain, at least in part, why it is so difficult to determine a precise threshold concentration that is harmful or safe for each individual ( Cetta et al 2007 ).…”

Intracellular heavy metal nanoparticle storage: progressive accumulation within lymph nodes with transformation from chronic inflammation to malignancy

“…We have investigated the possibility of a link between exposure to environmental particulate matter and development of lymphoma 5,6 using a new investigational tool, ie, field emission gun-environmental scanning electron microscopy (FEG-ESEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the chemical composition of the particles identified. We have investigated nanoparticle storage in lymph nodes and involved tissues retrospectively.…”

“…However, caution is recommended when interpreting the results of a single case report, as well as those of small studies such as that one by Bick et al, 11 in which small numbers could be responsible for bias in risk calculation. In addition, as our extended studies have already suggested, 5,6,[28][29][30][31][32][33] environmental pollutants are usually present in such a small concentration in the atmosphere that they are unlikely to be solely responsible for the occurrence of malignant disease in the absence of a congenital or inherited predisposition in the host. On the contrary, in the presence of frail predisposed subjects, even small amounts of pollutants could be cofactors for the occurrence of chronic or even malignant diseases.…”

Linking Environmental Particulate Matter with Genetic Alterations

“…Analogously, chronic exposure to toxic or carcinogenic environmental substances does not elicit the same results in all individuals. The final clinical outcome (cancer, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, atherosclerosis, or coronary diseases) seems to be less dependent on the toxic potency of the pollutant or of the exposure dose and more on the individual susceptibility of the host ( Cetta 2009a , 2009b ). This approach should facilitate a better understanding of the < 5% incidence of mesotheliomas in subjects with the same chronic exposure to asbestos, or the absence of health effects in husbands with chronic occupational exposure to asbestos but the occurrence of mesotheliomas in wives with minor indirect exposure from their husbands (Cetta F, unpublished data).…”