Long-term exposure to air pollution may raise the risk of developing autoimmune disease, researchers report today.
A large number of diseases are linked to dysregulation and uncontrolled activation of the immune system, causing inflammation and tissue damage.
Studies indicate that the rate of these conditions, which include arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis, is rising.
Previously, environmental air pollution has been linked to disruption of the immune system at a molecular level, so Dr Giovanni Adami at the University of Verona, Italy, and colleagues investigated the link with air pollution.
They analysed a nationwide database including 81,363 women and men, including diagnoses of immune-related diseases and exposure to particulate matter (PM)10 and PM2.5 concentrations.
"We found a positive association between PM10 and the risk of autoimmune diseases," they report today in *RMD Open*.
"Exposure to PM10 was associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis; exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases," they add.
Overall, they write: "Chronic exposure to levels of traffic and industrial air pollutants above the threshold for human protection was associated with a 10% higher risk of developing immune-mediated diseases."
The team point out that these substances are thought to "enhance several inflammatory pathways, stimulate the production of cytokines and upregulate the activation of genes involved in inflammatory response".
Further studies are warranted, they believe.
Adami, G. et al. Association between long-term exposure to air pollution and immune mediated diseases: a population-based cohort study. *RMD Open* 16 March 2022 doi 10.1136/rmdopen-2021-002055
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