Underground railway particulate matter and susceptibility to pneumococcal infection

Miyashita, Lisa, Shears, Rebecca, Foley, Gary, Semple, Sean, Kadioglu, Aras ORCID: 0000-0003-1137-6321 and Grigg, Jonathan (2022) Underground railway particulate matter and susceptibility to pneumococcal infection EBIOMEDICINE, 80. 104063-. ISSN 2352-3964, 2352-3964

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Abstract

Background: Concentrations of particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM<inf>10</inf>) on underground railways are higher than those near urban roads. Traffic-related PM<inf>10</inf> increases pneumococcal infection via increasing the expression of platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR), a receptor co-opted by pneumococci to adhere to cells. To date, it is unknown whether underground railway PM<inf>10</inf> increases pneumococcal infection. This study sought to determine the effect of London Underground (LU) PM<inf>10</inf> on; i) pneumococcal adhesion to airway cells, and ii) susceptibility to pneumococcal disease. Methods: A549 cells and human primary airway epithelial cells were cultured with 20 µg/mL PM<inf>10</inf> from the Bakerloo (B-PM<inf>10</inf>) and Jubilee (J-PM<inf>10</inf>) line platforms of Baker Street station. PAFR expression was assessed by flow cytometry, and pneumococcal adhesion by colony forming unit (CFU) counts. Traffic-related PM<inf>10</inf> was collected next to a main road near the station's entrance. The PAFR blocker CV3988 and the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine were used to assess the role of PAFR-mediated pneumococcal adhesion and oxidative stress respectively. Pneumococcal infection of mice was done after exposure to 3×80 μg doses of intranasal LU-PM<inf>10</inf>. Findings: In A549 cells, human primary nasal cells, and human primary bronchial epithelial cells, B-PM<inf>10</inf> and J-PM<inf>10</inf> increased PAFR expression and pneumococcal adhesion. Stimulated adhesion was abrogated by CV3988 and N-acetyl cysteine. Traffic-related PM<inf>10</inf> stimulated increased adhesion compared with B-PM<inf>10</inf>. B-PM<inf>10</inf> and J-PM<inf>10</inf> increased lung and blood CFU and mortality in mice. Treatment of B-PM<inf>10</inf>-exposed mice with CV3988 reduced blood CFU. Interpretation: LU-PM<inf>10</inf> increases pneumococcal adhesion to airway cells and susceptibility to invasive disease in mice. Funding: The Medical College of Saint Bartholomew's Hospital Trust, and the UK Medical Research Council Programme Grant (MR/P011284/1).

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	London underground, Particulate matter, Pneumococcal infection
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	17 Oct 2022 09:24
Last Modified:	22 May 2026 15:42
DOI:	10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104063
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104063
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3165518
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