Diesel exhaust augments allergen-induced lower airway inflammation in allergic individuals: a controlled human exposure study

RATIONALE: Traffic-related air pollution has been shown to augment allergy and airway disease. However, the enhancement of allergenic effects by diesel exhaust in particular is unproven in vivo in the human lung, and underlying details of this apparent synergy are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a 2 h inhalation of diesel exhaust augments lower airway inflammation and immune cell activation following segmental allergen …