Exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of lupus

WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increased likelihood of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a study published online July 10 in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

Meiqi Xing from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and colleagues investigated the associations between long-term exposure to air pollutants and SLE using data from 459,815 participants from the UK Biobank. The polygenic risk score was used to further assess the interactions and joint effects of genetic risk and air pollutants.

During a mean follow-up period of 11.77 years, 399 patients with SLE were identified. The researchers found positive associations between exposure to air pollutants and the occurrence of SLE, with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.18, 1.23, 1.27, and 1.13 for each increase in the interquartile range for particulate matter with a diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM_2.5), PM₁₀Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_X). Compared with those with low genetic risk and low air pollution, participants with high genetic risk and high air pollution had the highest risk of SLE (adjusted hazard ratios 4.16, 5.31, 5.61, and 4.80 for PM_2.5PM₁₀NO₂and no_XA significant multiplicative interaction was found between NO₂ and polygenic risk score.

“Our study provides important insights into air pollution contributing to autoimmune diseases,” co-author Yaohua Tian, ​​​​Ph.D., also of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said in a statement. “The findings may contribute to the development of stricter air quality regulations to reduce exposure to harmful pollutants and thus lower the risk of lupus.”

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