ABSTRACT
Background
Lately a potential detrimental effect of air pollution to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis emerged. We aimed to assess the effects of short-term air pollution exposure to the clinical course of IPF.
Research design and methods
IPF patients were followed intensively for four nonconsecutive study periods between 13 July 2020 and 5 September 2021. Short-term exposure to O3, NO2 and PM10 concentrations was estimated using spatio-temporal land use regression models. Associations among symptoms, lung function, oxygen saturation, and short-term personal air pollutant exposure were assessed through multiple mixed effects logistic regression models.
Results
Data for up to 24 IPF patients (mean age: 72.2 ± 7.6 years) were analyzed. We detected positive significant associations between cough and a 10 μg/m3 increase in same day mean level of NO2 (OR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.00–2.53), PM10 (OR = 2.42, 95%CI: 1.54–3.79), and O3 (OR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.14–2.32). A 10 μg/m3 increase in same day mean level of NO2 was also associated with the risk of appearance of wheezing (OR = 3.01, 95%CI: 1.00–9.04), while exposure to O3 was associated with common cold (OR = 6.30, 95%CI: 3.59–11.07). No significant associations were detected between short-term exposure to air pollutants and forced vital capacity or saturation of oxygen.
Conclusions
Short-term exposure to increased concentrations of air pollutants is an independent risk factor for IPF symptoms' aggravation.
Author contributions
I Tomos, A Karakatsani drafted the paper and were involved in study conception and design, data collection, data analyses, data interpretation, and writing of the manuscript. ED Manali was involved in study conception, data collection, data management, and writing of the manuscript. K Dimakopoulou was involved in study design, data analyses, data interpretation, and writing of the manuscript. SA Papiris was involved in data interpretation and critical revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the submitted manuscript.
Competing interests
ED Manali and SA Papiris received honoraria for lectures from Boehringer Ingelheim, Hoffman La Roche, and CSL Behring and support for attending congresses from Boehringer Ingelheim, CSL Behring, and Elpen. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Mr. A. Adamopoulos, Ms I. Tsilimpari and Ms. I Kokoretsi from the Air Quality Division, Ministry of Environment and Energy for providing air pollution measurement data.
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17476348.2023.2281992