Oxidative stress, short-term exposure to air pollution, and lung function in children

Background: Although the mechanism underlying air pollution exposure’s adverse effects on lung function is unclear, oxidative stress is implicated in a range of adverse health effects of air pollution. Urinary 8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) is a marker of DNA oxidation and oxidative stress. We sought to assess associations’ between oxidative stress and exposure to fossil fuel derived air pollution in children living in London (UK). Methods: After informed parental consent, healthy children aged 8-14 were recruited from schools in Greater London. Spot urine samples were analysed for 8-oxo-dG using a commercially available ELISA (Trevigen) and normalised against creatinine concentrations. Lung function (FEV1, FVC) was performed on the same day. Children’s short to long term exposure to particulate matter