Association of Exposure to Fine-Particulate Air Pollution and Acidic Gases with Incidence of Nephrotic Syndrome

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 15; no. 12; p. 2860
• Main Authors: Lin, Shih-Yi, Hsu, Wu-Huei, Lin, Cheng-Li, Lin, Cheng-Chieh, Lin, Chih-Hsueh, Wang, I-Kuan, Hsu, Chung-Y, Kao, Chia-Hung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14-12-2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Air monitoring; Air pollution; Air quality; Autoimmune diseases; Disease; Environmental monitoring; Hospitals; Kidney diseases; Nephrotic syndrome; Nitrogen dioxide; Nitrogen oxides; Organic chemicals; Particulate matter; Pollutants; Pollution monitoring; Population density; Regression analysis; Residential areas; Risk; Sulfur dioxide; Urbanization; China; Taiwan; air pollution; nephrotic syndrome; retrospective study; PM2.5
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15122860

: Air pollution has been associated with autoimmune diseases. Nephrotic syndrome is a clinical manifestation of immune-mediated glomerulopathy. However, the association between nephrotic syndrome and air pollution constituents remains unknown. We conducted this nationwide retrospective study to investigate the association between PM
and nephrotic syndrome.
: We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) and the Taiwan Air Quality-Monitoring Database (TAQMD). We combined and stratified the LHID and the TAQMD data by residential areas of insurants linked to nearby air quality-monitoring stations. Air pollutant concentrations were grouped into four levels based on quartile. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied.
: Relative to Q1-level SO₂, subjects exposed to the Q4 level were associated with a 2.00-fold higher risk of nephrotic syndrome (adjusted HR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.66⁻2.41). In NOx, relative to Q1 NOx concentrations, the adjusted HRs of nephrotic syndrome risk were 1.53 (95% CI = 1.23⁻1.91), 1.30 (95% CI = 1.03⁻1.65), and 2.08 (95% CI = 1.69⁻2.56) for Q2, Q3, and Q4 levels, respectively. The results revealed an increasing trend for nephrotic syndrome risk correlating with increasing levels of NO, NO₂, and PM
concentrations.
: High concentrations of PM
, NO, NO₂, and SO₂ are associated with increased risk of nephrotic syndrome.