Correlation between UFP content, clinical parameters and inflammation markers and long-term exposure to PM2.5
| UFP in EBC ×108·mL−1 | UFP in serum ×108·mL−1 | FEV1 % pred | DLCO % pred | CRP mg·L−1 | LDH U·L−1 | |
| PM2.5 (3 months of exposure) | r=−0.54*** | r=0.23* | r=−0.46*** | r=−0.23* | r=0.3** | r=0.3* |
PM2.5: particulate matter <2.5 µm; EBC: exhaled breath condensate; UFP: ultrafine particles; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; % pred: % predicted; DLCO: diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide; CRP: C-reactive protein; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase. *: p≤0.05; **: p≤0.01; ***: p<0.001.