# CMA:Pulmonary and Systemic Effects of Deployment Related Particulate Matter Exposures

> **NIH VA I01** · MINNEAPOLIS VA  MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Military personnel deployed to Southeast Asia (SA) report increased respiratory symptoms. Unique to
SA deployment is a history of exposure to high levels of airborne particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm in diameter
(PM2.5) consisting of seasonal dust storms, burn-pit smoke, and unregulated industrial and vehicular pollutants.
Objective findings among returning Veterans are limited, therefore, the VA Cooperative Study #595 Service
and Health Among Deployed Veterans (SHADE) was funded to assess satellite confirmed exposure history
during land-based deployments to SA, in nearly 5000 at risk Veterans in six centers. The overall aim of
SHADE (Parent Project) is to associate PM2.5 exposure with spirometrically assessed pulmonary function, and
asthma history. Because SHADE offers a unique opportunity to identify early deployment-related lung findings
related to PM exposure, we propose to use this cohort to identify biophysical and clinical impact of PM
exposure through three inter-related Aims. To accomplish our goals we will recruit 280 SHADE participants
with (50%) and without (50%) respiratory symptoms (chronic cough, wheeze, or dyspnea) who are non- or
former-smokers with <10 pack year history of smoking from four participating SHADE sites (Minneapolis,
Houston, Boston and Seattle). This study will provide evidence for the systemic effects of exposure with
linkage to respiratory symptoms and reduced pulmonary function.
 This proposal is one of three coordinated projects to systematically examine pulmonary and systemic
effects of exposure during deployment. Specifically, this project will use state-of-the-art technology and
expertise (biomarker discovery, multi-omic analysis, immunology and bioinformatics) to provide a
comprehensive assessment of systemic inflammatory and airway related biomarkers in deployment-related
PM2.5 exposure. Further, our proposed approach using systemic and immune based biomarkers contributes to
the overall rationale for our Collaborative Merit Applications. We will test the hypothesis that increased
systemic biomarkers of airway and pulmonary injury and/or immune cell activation status will
distinguish previously deployed veterans with and without respiratory symptoms and associate with
greater deployment related PM2.5 exposures. Specifically, we will examine the association between systemic
biomarkers of airway injury with activation of the innate and acquired immune system to respiratory symptoms,
lung function parameters, and PM2.5 exposures.
 In this collaborative proposal all four sites will study the same 280 patients that in addition to biomarker
studies will have lung structure evaluation by quantitative CT imaging (Boston VA project) and additional
physiologic characterization using diffusion capacity and exhaled nitric oxide to evaluate eosinophilic airway
inflammation (Seattle VA project). Using well-designed biostatistical approaches, we will test our hypothesis
that greater exposure to PM2.5 results in specific airway ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10101480
- **Project number:** 5I01BX004633-02
- **Recipient organization:** MINNEAPOLIS VA  MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Farrah Kheradmand
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-01-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10101480

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10101480, CMA:Pulmonary and Systemic Effects of Deployment Related Particulate Matter Exposures (5I01BX004633-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10101480. Licensed CC0.

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