ALFESIO LUIS FERREIRA BRAGA
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
LIM/05 - Laboratório de Poluição Atmosférica Experimental, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
4 resultados
Resultados de Busca
Agora exibindo 1 - 4 de 4
- Ambient levels of air pollution induce clinical worsening of blepharitis(2012) MALERBI, Fernando Korn; MARTINS, Lourdes Conceicao; SALDIVA, Paulo Hilario Nascimento; BRAGA, Alfesio Luis FerreiraBackground: Even though air pollutants exposure is associated with changes in the ocular surface and tear film, its relationship to the clinical course of blepharitis, a common eyelid disease, had not yet been investigated. Our objective was to investigate the correlation between air pollution and acute manifestations of blepharitis. Method: We recorded all cases of changes in the eyelids and ocular surface, and rated clinical findings on a scale from zero (normal) to two (severe alterations). Daily values of carbon monoxide, particulate matter smaller than 10 mu m in diameter and nitrogen dioxide concentrations and meteorological variables (temperature and relative humidity) in the vicinity of the medical service were obtained. Specific linear regression models for each outcome were constructed including pollutants as independent variables (single pollutant models). Temperature and humidity were included as confounding variables. Results: increases of 28.8 mu g/m(3) in the concentration of particulate matter and 1.1 ppm in the concentration of CO were associated with increases in cases of blepharitis on the day of exposure (5 cases, 95% CI: 1-10 and 6 cases, 95% CI: 1-12, respectively). Conclusion: Exposure to usual air pollutants concentrations present in large cities affects, in a consistent manner, the eyes of residents contributing to the increasing incidence of diseases of the eyelid margin.
- Effects of ambient levels of traffic-derived air pollution on the ocular surface: Analysis of symptoms, conjunctival goblet cell count and mucin 5AC gene expression(2014) TORRICELLI, Andre Augusto Miranda; MATSUDA, Monique; NOVAES, Priscila; BRAGA, Alfesio Luiz Ferreira; SALDIVA, Paulo Hilario Nascimento; ALVES, Milton Ruiz; MONTEIRO, Mario Luiz RibeiroPurpose: To quantify ocular symptoms, goblet cells (GC) and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) gene expression on the conjunctiva of healthy subjects exposed to ambient levels of traffic-derived air pollution and to estimate its correlation with NO2 and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 mu m (PM2.5) levels. Methods: Twenty-one taxi drivers or traffic controllers were assessed with the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and conjunctival impression cytology. MUC5AC mRNA levels were determined based on the cytology of the right eye, and GC density was assessed based on the cytology of the left eye. Mean individual levels of 24-h NO2 and PM2.5 exposure were assessed the day before examination. Possible associations between NO2 or PM2.5 levels, OSDI scores, GC densities and MUC5AC mRNA levels were verified. Results: The subjects were exposed to mean PM2.5 levels of 35 +/- 12 mu g/m(3) and mean NO2 levels of 189 +/- 47 mu g/m(3). OSDI scores were low (7.4 +/- 8) and GC densities were 521 +/- 257 and 782 +/- 322 cell/mm(2) on the bulbar and tarsal conjunctivas, respectively. The mean GC-derived MUC5AC mRNA expression was 14 +/- 7 fM/mu g of total RNA. A significant and positive correlation was observed between MUC5AC mRNA levels and tarsal GC density (p=0.018). A trend toward association between PM2.5 levels and tarsal GC cell density (p=0.052) was found. Conclusion: Exposure to ambient levels of air pollution impacts conjunctival GC density. An increase in MUC5AC mRNA levels may be part of an adaptive ocular surface response to long-term exposure to air pollution.
- The association between air pollution and blood pressure in traffic controllers in Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, Brazil(2011) CHIARELLI, Paulo Sergio; PEREIRA, Luiz Alberto Amador; SALDIVA, Paulo Hilario do Nascimento; FERREIRA FILHO, Celso; GARCIA, Maria Lucia Bueno; BRAGA, Alfesio Luis Ferreira; MARTINS, Lourdes ConceicaoBackground: Urban air pollutants are associated with cardiovascular events. Traffic controllers are at high risk for pollution exposure during outdoor work shifts. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between air pollution and systemic blood pressure in traffic controllers during their work shifts. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 19 male traffic controllers from Santo Andre city (Sao Paulo, Brazil) who were 30-60 years old and exposed to ambient air during outdoor work shifts. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were measured every 15 min by an Ambulatory Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring device. Hourly measurements (lags of 0-5 h) and the moving averages (2-5 h) of particulate matter (PM(10)), ozone (O(3)) ambient concentrations and the acquired daily minimum temperature and humidity means from the Sao Paulo State Environmental Agency were correlated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Statistical methods included descriptive analysis and linear mixed effect models adjusted for temperature, humidity, work periods and time of day. Results: Interquartile increases of PM(10) (33 mu g/m(3)) and O(3) (49 mu g/m(3)) levels were associated with increases in all arterial pressure parameters, ranging from 1.06 to 2.53 mmHg. PM(10) concentration was associated with early effects (lag 0), mainly on systolic blood pressure. However, O(3) was weakly associated most consistently with diastolic blood pressure and with late cumulative effects. Conclusions: Santo Andre traffic controllers presented higher blood pressure readings while working their outdoor shifts during periods of exposure to ambient pollutant fluctuations. However, PM(10) and O(3) induced cardiovascular effects demonstrated different time courses and end-point behaviors and probably acted through different mechanisms.
- Exposure to fine particles increases blood pressure of hypertensive outdoor workers: A panel study(2019) SANTOS, Ubiratan Paula; BRAGA, Alfesio Luis Ferreira; GARCIA, Maria Lucia Bueno; PEREIRA, Luiz Alberto Amador; LIN, Chin An; CHIARELLI, Paulo S.; ANDRE, Carmen Diva Saldiva de; ANDRE, Paulo Afonso de; SINGER, Julio M.; SALDIVA, Paulo Hilario NascimentoBackground: Hypertension and air pollution are two important risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although several studies suggest that air pollution has a significant impact on blood pressure, studies on long-term effects are sparse and still controversial. Objective: To evaluate the effects of exposure of outdoor workers to different levels of traffic-generated PM2.5 on blood pressure. Design: This is an observational panel study. Participants: 88 non-smoking workers exposed to different concentrations of air pollution were evaluated weekly along four successive weeks. Measurements: In each week, personal monitoring of 24-h PM2.5 concentration and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure were measured. The association between blood pressure variables and PM2.5, adjusted for age, body mass index, time in job, daily work hours, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol was assessed by means of multiple linear regression models fitted by least squares. Results: Exposure to PM2.5 (ranging from 8.5 to 89.7 mu g/m(3)) is significantly and consistently associated with an increase in average blood pressure. An elevation of 10 mu g/m(3) in the concentration of PM2.5 is associated with increments of 3.9 mm Hg (CI 95% = [1.5; 6.3]) in average systolic 24-h blood pressure for hypertensive and/or diabetic workers. Conclusion: Exposure to fine particles, predominantly from vehicular traffic, is associated with elevated blood pressure in hypertensive and/or diabetic workers.