Environmental and health issues have become a major focus of research worldwide in recent years.
Particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a common
air pollutant that has been demonstrated to be associated with various diseases, including
acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the present study, the effects of PM2.5 on the proliferation and
inflammation were assessed using three human acute myeloid cell lines (U937, HL-60 and KG-1a) in vitro. Additionally, the levels of several
cytokines [
interleukin (IL)-2,
IL-10,
IL-17A and
tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α] in AML cells and Sprague Dawley rats were evaluated to investigate the effects of PM2.5 on
cytokine expression in AML. The results revealed that PM2.5 was capable of enhancing inflammatory responses in AML cells, and increasing
IL-2,
IL-10,
IL-17A and TNFα
mRNA expression in AML cells to different degrees. Furthermore, PM2.5 increased
IL-2 and
IL-10 contents in rats following 12 weeks of exposure. These results suggested that PM2.5 may serve a role in promoting the occurrence and progression of
leukemia by affecting
cytokine expression, and that there may be various mechanisms active in different AML subtypes.