Exposure to diesel emissions may reduce the immune response of individuals experiencing respiratory infections, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Researchers found that exposure to diesel particulate can obstruct the body’s ability to protect itself from tissue damage and may increase inflammation in the lungs.

The study adds to a large body of research showing the detrimental health effects of inhaling the fine particulate generated from burning diesel. Inhaling so-called PM2.5, or particles that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, can lodge deep in the lungs.

Short-term exposure to so-called PM2.5 is associated with premature death, increased hospital admissions for heart and lung issues, increased emergency room visits, asthma, bronchitis and respiratory issues, according to the California Air Resources Board.

The UNC study was conducted to look at the possible effects of diesel exhaust particulate exposure on immune cells’ ability to respond to an infection. Studying blood samples for healthy people, the researchers exposed the white blood cells responsible for fighting infection to various stimulants that caused the cells to lose their ability to fight inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to disease, such as cancer, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“Exposure to air pollution has been routinely linked to worsening health outcomes,” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor and lead author of the study Ilona Jaspers said in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, where it was published. “These findings may direct further research,” she said, to develop new types of treatment that can improve immune responses and reduce the severity of disease.