Effect of particulate matter (PM10) on human neutrophils exposed to rhinovirus

Air pollutants seriously affect global health. Among these, particulate matter (PM10) can enter the respiratory tract, attract immune cells and cause inflammatory and cytotoxic phenomena that alter lung function and increase susceptibility to respiratory virus infections. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory response induced by PM10 in neutrophils exposed to rhinovirus by evaluating its cytotoxic potential via the MTT technique and quantifying the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha and their mRNAs of the ICAM-1 molecule using ELISA and qPCR, respectively. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of PM10 exposure on the RV load in A549 cells. Exposure to PM10 at concentrations less than 10 mu g/mL did not cause significant cytotoxicity in neutrophils, but when neutrophils were exposed to PM10 and Rhinovirus, increases in the levels of the IL-1 beta and ICAM-1 mRNA and the number of copies of the Rhinovirus genome, especially in neutrophils and cells exposed to higher concentrations of PM10. In conclusion, exposure to PM10 and rhinovirus may promote the occurrence of complications during viral infection related to the development of proinflammatory states.