During pregnancy, women are more susceptible to severe respiratory infections from multiple viruses, including influenza A virus (IAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). . Additionally, pregnant women are disproportionately affected by influenza, resulting in a more than 10-fold increased risk of hospitalization.
A new study led by Dr. Natalie Johnson, associate professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at Texas A&M University School of Public Health, shows that exposure to ultrafine particulate matter (UFP) during pregnancy increases the risk of infection respiratory virus. The results of the study were recently published in Particle and fiber toxicology.
“We know that air pollution affects the pulmonary immune system, making people more susceptible to viral infections,” Johnson said. “We also know that pregnant women are already at higher risk of severe influenza. Surprisingly, studies have not questioned the combined effects of pregnancy, air pollution, and influenza. Our findings demonstrate the need for further study of these interactions to prevent short-term disease and perhaps long-term impacts on maternal health.”
In the study, Johnson and her co-authors point out that there are several physiological characteristics that explain maternal susceptibility to viral infection. These include increased cardiac output and decreased tidal volume (the amount of air that enters or leaves the lungs with each respiratory cycle), as well as immunological changes such as selective modulation of subsets of immune cells to protect the fetus. Developing.
The research team also notes that vaccination compliance during pregnancy is generally below 50 percent, despite the fact that influenza vaccination is safe and effective, increasing the risk of developing a respiratory infection.
As a result, air pollution, which is a worldwide environmental health problem, is responsible for one in nine deaths with an annual premature mortality of more than 7 million. A mixture of gases and tiny airborne particles, which are classified as UFPs, are critical to recognize and identify, especially to protect vulnerable populations.
The research team says these findings support future clinical and regulatory interventions to protect pregnant women and control UFPs. According to the researchers, it is imperative that pregnant women in urban cities, where influenza and UFP are most prevalent, receive vaccinations and preventive measures that limit exposure to UFP to protect maternal health.
“Air pollution is a pervasive environmental health problem,” Johnson said. “Strategies to protect the most vulnerable, such as pregnant women, are a high priority to decrease adverse health effects.”
Other authors include Nicholas L. Drury, Texas A&M Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Texas A&M Department of Nutrition; Toriq Mustapha, Texas A&M Department of Occupational and Environmental Health; Ross A. Shore, Texas A&M Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Jiayun Zhao, Texas A&M Department of Chemistry; Gus A. Wright, Texas A&M Department of Veterinary Pathobiology; Aline Rodrigues Hoffmann, Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, University of Florida; Susanne U. Talcott, Texas A&M Department of Nutrition; Annette Regan, University of San Francisco College of Nursing and Health Professions; Robert M. Tighe, Duke University Department of Medicine; and Renyi Zhang, Texas A&M Department of Chemistry and Texas A&M Department of Atmospheric Sciences.