Heavy metals in PM2.5 and in blood, and children’s respiratory symptoms and asthma from an e-waste recycling area.

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Heavy metals in PM2.5 and in blood, and children’s respiratory symptoms and asthma from an e-waste recycling area.

Environ Pollut. 2016 Jan 21;210:346-353

Authors: Zeng X, Xu X, Zheng X, Reponen T, Chen A, Huo X

Abstract
This study was to investigate the levels of heavy metals in PM2.5 and in blood, the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and asthma, and the related factors to them. Lead and cadmium in both PM2.5 and blood were significant higher in Guiyu (exposed area) than Haojiang (reference area) (p < 0.05), however, no significant difference was found for chromium and manganese in PM2.5 and in blood. The prevalence of cough, phlegm, dyspnea, and wheeze of children was higher in Guiyu compared to Haojiang (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found for the prevalence of asthma in children between Guiyu and Haojiang. Living in Guiyu was positively associated with blood lead (B = 0.196, p < 0.001), blood cadmium (B = 0.148, p < 0.05) and cough (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.30-4.32; p < 0.01). Blood lead>5 ?g/dL was significantly associated with asthma (OR, 9.50; 95% CI, 1.16-77.49). Higher blood chromium and blood manganese were associated with more cough and wheeze, respectively. Our data suggest that living in e-waste exposed area may lead to increased levels of heavy metals, and accelerated prevalence of respiratory symptoms and asthma.

PMID: 26803791 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Area hospitals for kids get $17.7M grant to battle asthma, acne – Times of San Diego


Times of San Diego

Area hospitals for kids get $17.7M grant to battle asthma, acne
Times of San Diego
Rady Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital of Orange County will share a $17.7 million federal grant to improve care in Southern California for health problems like asthma and acne, the medical organizations announced. The money from the U.S. …
Rady Children's Hospital receives federal grantKUSI

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Racine area 4th grader helps school bus driver during asthma attack – Minneapolis Star Tribune


Minneapolis Star Tribune

Racine area 4th grader helps school bus driver during asthma attack
Minneapolis Star Tribune
MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. — A Racine-area school bus driver says a fourth-grade student saved her life when she had an asthma attack while driving the bus. Daquisha Adams says she had the asthma episode on Thursday morning at the start of her route.

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Public Release: 26-Jun-2015 Children with asthma likely born in Toronto area … – EurekAlert (press release)


EurekAlert (press release)

Public Release: 26-Jun-2015 Children with asthma likely born in Toronto area
EurekAlert (press release)
Researchers identified a number of "clusters" where higher numbers of children who developed asthma were born, including Parkdale-Little Portugal, west of downtown Toronto; the neighbourhood where the Don Valley Parkway connects to the westbound …

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Analysis of asthma patients for cryptococcal seroreactivity in an urban German area.

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Analysis of asthma patients for cryptococcal seroreactivity in an urban German area.

Med Mycol. 2015 May 30;

Authors: Grahnert A, Müller U, von Buttlar H, Treudler R, Alber G

Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes lung inflammation and meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients but is also able to asymptomatically infect immunocompetent individuals. C. neoformans is found ubiqui-tously especially in urban areas where it is spread by pigeons, and fungal exposure may predispose for asthma development already at an early age, as soon as confronted with pigeon droppings. In the study presented here, we investigated the presence of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) against C. neoformans in sera from patients suffering from asthma in comparison to a healthy control cohort, accrued from the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE). For serological analysis we developed a flow cytometry (FACS) based assay specific for an acapsular strain of C. neoformans to comprehensively analyze different cryptococcal serotypes. Compared with the non-asthmatic cohort, asthmatics exhibited, as expected, an elevated level of total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), whereas the IgG seroreactivity against C. neoformans was not significantly different among the two groups (P = .118). Nevertheless, there was a trend toward increased Cryptococcus-specific IgG antibodies in the serum of asthmatics. Additionally, in male asthmatics an increased IgG-mediated seroreactivity compared to female asthmatics was found. This points to a higher prevalence of subclinical C. neoformans infection in male asthmatics and may support the hypothesis of C. neoformans as a risk factor for the development of asthma in urban areas.

PMID: 26026172 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Area principal nearly charged with crime for helping student suffering asthma … – Q13 FOX

Area principal nearly charged with crime for helping student suffering asthma
Q13 FOX
LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — The Woodland police chief says no charges will be filed against a school principal who gave her prescription inhaler to a student having an asthma attack. Chief Phillip Crochet says Woodland Middle School Principal Cari Thomson …

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Asthma Attack Kills Milpitas Third-Grader – NBC Bay Area


NBC Bay Area

Asthma Attack Kills Milpitas Third-Grader
NBC Bay Area
The sudden death of Christian Ryan Lavarias Dalugdug, who would have celebrated his ninth birthday on Wednesday, is uniting his former classmates at Joseph Weller Elementary School in mourning, the Milpitas Post reported.
Milpitas third-grader dies after asthma attackOakland Tribune
Milpitas couple mourns loss of son after deadly asthma attackKTVU San Francisco

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