Induced rhinovirus infection under controlled exposure to sulfur dioxide

Journal Article · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1976 · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1977.10667267· OSTI ID:5368939

Andersen, I ^[1]; Jensen, P L; Reed, S E; Craig, J W; Proctor, D F; Adams, G K

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1. Aarhus, Univ., Denmark

The interaction between short-term sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) exposure and experimentally induced rhinovirus infection was studied in thirty-two volunteers divided into two groups balanced with respect to age, antibody levels, and nasal mucous flow rates. One group was exposed to SO/sub 2/ at the threshold limit value (TLV) of 5 ppM during 4 hours; the other group served as controls exposed to pollution-free air under the same conditions. The SO/sub 2/ exposure caused a 50% decrease in nasal mucous flow rate in the anterior parts of the nose, but there was no difference in the number of colds which developed in the two groups. The group exposed to SO/sub 2/ had fewer symptoms and a possibly shorter incubation period (P = .06), and virus shedding was at a lower level but more persistent than in the control group. No differences were found in antibody response. The rhinovirus infection in the control group caused a gradual decrease in nasal mucus flow rate starting 2 days after the virus instillation, and after 5 days the rate was less than half its initial value. For future experiments on the interaction between airborne pollutants and rhinovirus infections, a virus challenge by aerosol inhalation is recommended. Our study supports an earlier observation that growth of influenza virus in the nasal cavity of mice was inhibited by exposure to SO/sub 2/ concentrations of 6 or 20 ppM.

• OSTI ID: 5368939
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 32:3; ISSN AEHLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
ANTIBODIES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
INHALATION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
MAN
MICROORGANISMS
MUCOUS MEMBRANES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
SOLS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
VERTEBRATES
VIRUSES