- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Awareness of Alternative Therapies May Be Lacking
- Insight on Herbals Eludes Doctors, Patients Alike
- Meditation May Boost Short-Term Visual Memory
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- Majority of College Students Report Backpack-Related Pain
- Extra Pounds in Mid-Life Affect Later Mobility
- CANCER
- Wristbands May Lessen Nausea After Radiation
- Mineral May Reduce High-Risk Bladder Disease
- Well Water Might Raise Bladder Cancer Risk
- CAREGIVING
- Robots May Come to Aging Boomers' Rescue
- Transition From Home to Hospital Rarely Seamless
- Hospital Practices Influence Which Moms Will Breast-Feed
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
- COSMETIC
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start
- Periodontal Disease Impacts Whole Health
- Acid Drinks Blamed for Increase in Tooth Erosion
- DIABETES
- 24 Million Americans Had Diabetes in 2007
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Strict Blood Sugar Lowering Won't Ease Diabetes Heart Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Even in 'Last Supper,' Portion Sizes Have Grown
- Just Say No to Nuts During Pregnancy
- Is Your Refrigerator Getting Enough Attention For Your Raw Food Success?
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Warmer-Than-Average Temperatures Raise Migraine Risk
- Global Warming Biggest Health Threat of 21st Century, Experts Say
- Climate Change Linked to Longer Pollen Seasons
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Brain Pressure More Likely to Cause Vision Loss in Men
- When Gauging Age, the Eyes Have It
- Florida Vision Test Law: Fewer Traffic Deaths Among Elderly
- FITNESS
- You Can Get Great Exercise In The Garden
- Exercise Keeps the Brain Young
- Keep Safety in Mind While Your Kids Are Cooling Off in the Water
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- GENERAL HEALTH
- You Can Get Great Exercise In The Garden
- Standard IQ Test May Underestimate People With Autism
- Winter's Bitter Cold Poses Health Dangers
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- Implanted Defibrillators Boost Long-Term Survival
- Ginkgo Won't Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke in Elderly
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Hand Washing 10 Times a Day May Help Keep Flu Away
- KID'S HEALTH
- St. John's Wort Doesn't Work for ADHD
- Dangerous Toys Still on Store Shelves, Report Finds
- Safety Should Be Priority for Those Involved in Kids' Sports
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Heal Your Life® Tips for Living Well
- Love Hormone May Ease Discussion of Painful Topics
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- PREGNANCY
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- SENIORS
- Exercise Benefits Even the Oldest Old
- Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High
- Any Old Cane Won't Do
Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure May Damage DNA
By eHolistic.com Published: 05/17/2009
SUNDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Breathing polluted air for even a short period of time can cause some genes to undergo reprogramming, which may affect a person's risk of developing cancer and other diseases, say Italian researchers.
Comparisons of blood DNA samples from healthy workers who were exposed to high levels of airborne particulates at a foundry near Milan revealed that after only three days of exposure, changes occurred in four genes that have been linked to tumor suppression, according to research presented Sunday at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, in San Diego.
This finding indicates "that environmental factors need little time to cause gene reprogramming, which is potentially associated with disease outcomes," investigator Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, assistant professor of applied biotechnology at the University of Milan, said in a news release issued by the conference's sponsor.
"As several of the effects of particulate matter in foundries are similar to those found after exposure to ambient air pollution, our results open new hypotheses about how air pollutants modify human health," Baccarelli said.
The changes in the foundry workers' genes may have been caused by DNA methylation, a chemical transformation process that has been linked to gene reprogramming and has been found in the blood and tissue samples of lung cancer patients, Baccarelli noted.
"The changes in DNA methylation we observed are reversible, and some of them are currently being used as targets of cancer drugs," said the researcher, who added that it might be possible to design early interventions that could program that gene back to normal and mitigate the increased health risks of air pollutants.
"We need to evaluate how the changes in gene reprogramming we observed are related to cancer risk," Baccarelli said.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about lung disease.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: American Thoracic Society, news release, May 17, 2009
Last Updated: May 18, 2009
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