The two principal goals of the Respiratory Effects Research Core are 1) to understand how indoor and outdoor air pollution contribute to respiratory disease in humans and 2) to learn how host factors (genetic and other) influence the pathogenic process. To accomplish these two goals we have the objectives of applying the best exposure assessment, the most up-to-date biostatistical and study design approaches, the most sensitive endpoints of health effects in appropriate populations, and the evaluation of genetic and other host factors that potentially influence the response. A further goal of this core is to provide education to graduate students.

Respiratory disease (including asthma) continues to be a major public health problem. Chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis and asthma continue to produce considerable morbidity and mortality in both adults and children. Environmental factors have long been recognized as important in the causation of these diseases. The identification of these factors has had and continues to have important public health implications. For example, there has been recent recognition that particulate air pollution accounts for excess morbidity and mortality, a problem with enormous regulatory significance; however, not enough is known about the nature of the particles we breathe. We are only beginning to understand the true relationships of indoor and outdoor pollution with the various forms of respiratory disease. This Research Core is organized to study these problems either in large populations based investigations or smaller experimental studies in an exposure chamber designed to deliver a specific exposure or mixture of exposures. Our Core offers a wide range of approaches to determining the acute and chronic respiratory effects of pollutants on a clinical or epidemiologic scale.

Asthma incidence and prevalence rates and exacerbations in children in Southern California are high and oxidant pollution levels are likewise high. It is important to determine the relationship between the two. It is also important to determine whether there are other chronic pulmonary effects produced by exposure to these oxidants and/or particulate pollution. Since children spend more time outdoors than adults and since they exercise more while outdoors, the added insult from increased ventilation in polluted air is likely to be of importance. Our studies feature a comprehensive exposure assessment that has led to a better understanding of the relationship between exposure and effects. It is also important to identify sub-populations of children and adults who are more susceptible to air pollution-related respiratory effects if they exist. Altered susceptibility could be based on genetic or non-genetic mechanisms (nutritional status for example). Both the epidemiologic and chamber studies provide opportunities to examine issues of increased susceptibility and to determine the reasons for it if it exists.

This research core grew out of the Children’s Health Study (CHS), begun in 1993 and in existence when the Center was established (1996). The activities of Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center led by Dr. Henry Gong, Jr. became part of this Core at its inception. Shortly thereafter, Dr. David Diaz-Sanchez from UCLA was added to the core and more recently Dr. Beate Ritz from UCLA (who is also a member of the Exposure Assessment Research Core) was added. These interactions have spawned the Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC), the continuing support of the CHS through a Program Project (5P01ES011627) grant from NIEHS, and several other individual grants. This core also has contributed to and taken from several of the Center Resources. This core has also been responsible for generating several Center initiatives. Center mechanisms have significantly enhanced the research efforts of this core as well as promoting interactions with other cores.