Coarse Particulate Matter and Markers of Inflammation and Coagulation in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Population: A Repeat Measures Analysis

BACKGROUND: In contrast to fine particles, less is known of the inflammatory and coagulation impacts of coarse particulate matter (formula presented , particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter formula presented ). Toxicological research suggests that these pathways might be important processes by which formula presented impacts health, but there are relatively few epidemiological studies due to a lack of a national formula presented monitoring network. OBJECTIVES: We used new spatiotemporal exposure models to examine associations of both 1-y and 1-month average formula presented concentrations with markers of inflammation and coagulation. METHODS: We leveraged data from 7,071 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and ancillary study participants 45-84 y of age who had repeated plasma measures of inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers. We estimated formula presented at participant addresses 1 y and 1 month before each of up to four exams (2000-2012) using spatiotemporal models that incorporated satellite, regulatory monitoring, and local geographic data and accounted for spatial correlation. We used random effects models to estimate associations with interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and D-dimer, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Increases in formula presented were not associated with greater levels of inflammation or coagulation. A formula presented increase in annual average formula presented was associated with a 2.5% decrease in CRP [95% confidence interval (CI): formula presented , 0.6]. We saw no association between annual average formula presented and the other markers (IL-6: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 1.2; fibrinogen: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 0.3; D-dimer: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 2.4). Associations consistently showed that a formula presented increase in 1-month average formula presented was associated with reduced inflammation and coagulation, though none were distinguishable from no association (IL-6: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 0.5; CRP: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 0.4; fibrinogen: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 0.1; D-dimer: formula presented , 95% CI: formula presented , 0.3). DISCUSSION: We found no evidence that formula presented is associated with higher inflammation or coagulation levels. More research is needed to determine whether the inflammation and coagulation pathways are as important in explaining observed formula presented health impacts in humans as they have been shown to be in toxicology studies or whether formula presented might impact human health through alternative biological mechanisms. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12972.