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Effect of PM10 on H influenzae and S pneumoniae
  1. A Adedeji1,
  2. T M A Weller1,
  3. J G Ayres2
  1. 1Department of Medical Microbiology, City Hospital, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK
  2. 2Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; j.g.ayres@abdn.ac.uk

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    That air pollution, and specifically particles, are harmful to health is well accepted,1 causing direct effects such as lung inflammation resulting in exacerbations of lung and cardiac conditions2,3 and being associated with admissions for pneumonia. In the 1960s Lawther et al showed that ambient particles stimulated the growth of Haemophilus influenzae in vitro,4 suggesting a direct effect of particles on bacteria themselves. However, it is not known whether this remains so for modern ambient particles where the sources are different.

    To address this we have assessed the effect of PM10 (particles essentially less than 10 μm in diameter) on the respiratory pathogens commonly associated with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia. The effect of dilutions of extracts of PM10 on the growth of H influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae grown in liquid broth and the effect of PM10 on microbial growth kinetics of S pneumoniae was assessed.

    Fresh isolates of H influenzae and S pneumoniae obtained from clinical …

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