“…28 In a rat model it has been shown that exhaled nitric oxide, which is elevated in patients with asthma, may cause DNA damage in epithelial cells. 29 A study on persons working outdoors reported a higher prevalence of DNA damage related to air pollution. 30 An inflammatory origin for the recorded DNA changes would also explain why the scores were so high among subjects exposed to asbestos, a condition known to induce a low-level alveolitis.…”