No abstract

The inflammatory effects of air pollution exposure may account for increased public health risk. However, evidence regarding the effects of air pollution on peripheral blood leukocytes in the population is inconsistent. We investigated the association between the short-term effects of ambient air pollution and the peripheral blood leukocyte distribution in adult men in Beijing, China. From January 2015 to December 2019, a total of 11,035 men aged 22–45 years in Beijing were included in the study. Their peripheral blood routine parameters were measured. The ambient pollution monitoring parameters (particulate matter ≤ 10 µm (PM10), PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3)) were collected daily. The potential association between ambient air pollution exposure and peripheral blood leukocyte count and classification was analyzed with generalized additive models (GAMs). After adjusting for confounding factors, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO were significantly correlated with changes to at least one peripheral leukocyte subtype. Short-term and cumulative air pollutant exposure dramatically increased the participants’ peripheral blood neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte numbers and decreased eosinophils and basophils. Our results demonstrated that air pollution induced inflammation in the participants. The peripheral leukocyte count and classification can be utilized to evaluate the inflammation induced by air pollution in the exposed male population.

Since 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has caused more than 300 million cases of disease and 5 million deaths. Vaccination has been widely accepted as the most effective measure for the prevention and control of this disease. However, there is little understanding about serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG levels after inactivated vaccination as well as the relationship with peripheral blood leukocytes in the non-COVID-19 infected population. A total of 16,335 male and 22,302 female participants were recruited in this study, which was conducted in the Peking University Third Hospital located in Beijing (China). The level and seroprevalence of serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgM/IgG and the association with peripheral blood leukocytes classification were investigated. With an increase in the number and percentage of full immunization of COVID-19 vaccinations in Beijing, serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies levels and seroprevalence were significantly elevated (p < 0.01). The serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies of 60 years and older persons were significantly lower than that of individuals that are 18~60 years old (p < 0.01), and there was a positive relationship between serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies levels and peripheral blood lymphocyte count. The investigation of serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies and the peripheral hematological index may prompt and help understand the adaptive immune response of vaccination.