ABSTRACT

Assessment of the impact that air contaminants have on health is difficult as this is a complex mixture of substances that varies depending on the time and place. There are many studies on the association between air pollution and increased morbidity and mortality. Before the effect of polluted air is manifested at the level of the organs, an impact can be observed at the molecular level. These include some new biomarkers, like a shortening of the mean telomere length in DNA, dysregulation of gene expression caused by microRNA levels or a variation in the copy number of mitochondrial DNA. These changes may predispose individuals to premature development of age-related diseases and consequently to shortening of life. The common attribute, shared by changes at the molecular level and the development of diseases, is the presence of oxidative stress.

摘要

评估空气污染物对健康的影响是困难的，因为这是一种复杂的物质混合物，会因时间和地点而异。有许多关于空气污染与发病率和死亡率增加之间关系的研究。在污染空气的影响在器官水平上表现出来之前，可以在分子水平上观察到影响。其中包括一些新的生物标志物，如 DNA 中平均端粒长度的缩短、由 microRNA 水平引起的基因表达失调或线粒体 DNA 拷贝数的变化。这些变化可能使个体易患与年龄有关的疾病，从而导致寿命缩短。分子水平的变化和疾病的发展所共有的共同属性是氧化应激的存在。