Subchronic heat stress modifies the pulmonary and immunological response to wildfire eucalyptus smoke
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This abstract is being submitted to SOT as part of a symposium application. The symposium is titled "Individual and Combined Effects of Climate Change Associated Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressors on Immunity."
Session information:
Chemical and non-chemical stressors in the environment influence immunity by targeting key host defense pathways leading to increased susceptibility to infections. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that exposure to ambient air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and wildfire smoke can worsen outcomes related to influenza, SARS-COV-2, and respiratory syncytial virus infections due to either immunoenhancing or immunosuppressing effects. These responses are often exacerbated in sensitive subpopulations including individuals with chronic health conditions. In addition, non-chemical stressors associated with climate change (e.g., heat stress, mycotoxins) can also affect respiratory infections by directly targeting the immune system and by indirectly favoring the formation of air pollutants and enhancing the spread of viruses. Thus, these stressors can act individually or can have interactive effects leading to more pronounced responses. The potential for interactions between chemical and non-chemical stressors suggests that the health impacts from climate change-driven increases in air pollution and heat exposure on immunity may be underestimated in studies assessing these risk factors individually. Therefore, expanding our understanding of these interactions and developing risk assessment strategies for both chemical and non-chemical stressors are crucial to mitigate risks for vulnerable populations. Foundational work from toxicological investigations, epidemiological studies, and risk assessments analyzing the individual and interactive effects of chemical and non-chemical stressors on immunity will be presented. The first speaker will describe a one-health approach to understanding how inhalation of air pollutants increases susceptibility to respiratory infection by focusing on changes in the pathogenic microenvironment. The second speaker will provide data highlighting interactive effects between air pollutant exposure and a chronically immunosuppressed state on mortality risk among people living with HIV. In the third talk, effects of heat stress on systemic inflammation in a cohort from a neighborhood in Louisville, KY will be presented while the fourth talk will focus on interactions between air pollutants, heat stress, and other environmental factors on immunity. The final speaker will walk the audience through a case study incorporating climate change related factors into a risk assessment of immunotoxicity. The diversity of speaker expertise in mechanistic toxicology, epidemiology, and human health risk assessment will enhance comprehension of the complex interplay between chemical and non-chemical stressors and provide guidance on how to apply this information to improve inputs for risk assessments to best protect public health. This will provide valuable insights for research planning, funding allocation, surveillance practices, as well as policy development.