Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers of Respiratory Diseases due to Particulate Matter Exposure

Air pollution is getting severe and concerns about its toxicity effects on airway and lung disease are also increasing. Particulate matter (PM) is major component of air pollutant. It causes respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and so on. PM particles enter the airway and lung by inhalation, causing damages to them. Especially, PM can penetrate into the alveolus and pass to the systemic circulation. It can affect the cardiopulmonary system and cause cardiopulmonary disorders. In this review, we focused on PM-inducing toxicity mechanisms in the framework of oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic changes. We also reviewed its correlation with respiratory diseases. In addition, we reviewed biomarkers related to PM-induced respiratory diseases. These biomarkers might be used for disease prediction and early diagnosis. With recent trend of using genomic analysis tools in the field of toxicogenomics, respiratory disease biomarkers associated with PM will be continuously investigated. Effective biomarkers derived from earlier studies and further studies might be utilized to reduce respiratory diseases.