Search

Background: Emerging evidence has suggested significant associations between ambient air pollution and changes in hemoglobin levels or anemia in specific vulnerable groups, but few studies have assessed this relationship in the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and hemoglobin concentrations or anemia in general adults in South Korea., Methods: A total of 69,830 Korean adults from a large-scale nationwide survey were selected for our final analysis. Air pollutants included particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM 10 ), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and carbon monoxide (CO). We measured the serum hemoglobin concentration to assess anemia for each participant., Results: In the fully adjusted model, exposure levels to PM 10 , SO 2 , and CO for one and two years were significantly associated with decreased hemoglobin concentrations (all p < 0.05), with effects ranging from 0.15 to 0.62% per increase in interquartile range (IQR) for each air pollutant. We also showed a significant association of annual exposure to PM 10 with anemia (p = 0.0426); the odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for anemia per each increase in IQR in PM 10 was estimated to be 1.039 (1.001-1.079). This association was also found in the 2-year duration of exposure (OR = 1.046; 95% CI = 1.009-1.083; adjusted Model 2). In addition, CO exposure during two years was closely related to anemia (OR = 1.046; 95% CI = 1.004-1.091; adjusted Model 2)., Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution, especially PM 10 , is significantly associated with reduced hemoglobin levels and anemia in the general adult population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Blood pressure (BP) is a typical complex trait, and the genetic susceptibility of individuals to changes in BP induced by air pollution exposure is different. Although interactions of exposure to air pollutants with several candidate genes have been identified, genome-wide interaction studies (GWISs) are needed to understand the association between them with BP. Therefore, we aimed to discover the unique genetic loci for BP that interact with exposure to air pollutants in Korean adults. We ultimately included 1868 participants in the discovery step and classified them into groups of those with low-to-moderate exposure and high exposure to average annual concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ). Because none of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) achieved a genome-wide level of significance of p int  < 5 × 10 -8 for either systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP), we considered the top 10 ranking SNPs for each BP trait. To validate these suggestive SNPs, we finally selected six genetic variants for SBP and five variants for DBP, respectively. In a replication result for SBP, only one SNP (rs12914147) located in an intergenic region of the NR2F2 showed a significant interaction. We also identified several genetic susceptibility loci (e.g., CHST11, TEK, and ITGA1) implicated in candidate mechanisms such as inflammation and oxidative stress in the discovery step, although their interaction effects were not replicated. Our study reports the first GWIS finding to our knowledge, and the association between exposure to PM 10 and BP levels may be determined in part by several newly discovered genetic suggestive loci, including NR2F2., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Evidence suggests that low individual vitamin D levels enhance adverse effects associated with air pollution on mental health conditions. The aim of this study was to identify associations between ambient air pollution exposure, mental health, and serum vitamin D status in the general population of South Korea., Methods: We included national representative data for 29,373 adults in the final analysis. We measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations to assess vitamin D status for each participant. We assessed mental health factors (i.e., perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation), and analyzed associations between these factors and individuals' annual average exposures to air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide (CO)., Results: Using an adjusted model, we found PM 10 affected mental health outcomes, such as perceived stress (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04; 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.00-1.09), depression symptoms (OR = 1.12; 95 % CI = 1.06-1.18), and suicidal ideation (OR = 1.11; 95 % CI = 1.05-1.17). Effects of the pollutants NO 2 and CO were significant only in the group with perceived stress and depressive symptoms. PM 10 and NO 2 exposures were significantly associated with increased odds of adverse mental health in participants with vitamin D deficiency., Limitations: Since the cross-sectional design of KNHANES data, it is not possible to evaluate the causal relationship between air pollution exposure, vitamin D status and mental health., Conclusions: This study results suggest that associations between ambient air pollution and mental health outcomes were stronger in participants with vitamin D deficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Significant associations between air pollution (AP) and insulin resistance (IR) have been reported in limited populations or certain patient groups, but few studies have addressed this association in the general population, especially in Asians. Although abdominal fat is a major contributor to IR, previous studies have not fully controlled for its effect in the association between AP and IR. We investigated the association between exposure to AP and IR in Korean adults in the general population and whether this association is maintained even after controlling for the effects of abdominal fat, particularly visceral fat. This was a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained for Korean adults who participated in screening health checkups at Seoul National University Health Examination Center from 2006 to 2014. A total of 4251 men and women aged 22-84 years were included. IR was represented by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Adiposity traits such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue areas were measured by computed tomography. We assessed the annual mean concentrations of air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 µm or less (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. HOMA-IR was significantly associated with increased annual mean exposure to PM 10 in both men (β = 0.15; 95% CI 0.09, 0.22) and women (β = 0.16; 95% CI 0.09, 0.23), and these associations were maintained even after controlling for VAT area (both p < 0.05). The adjusted mean HOMA-IR increased gradually with the level of long-term PM 10 exposure (low, intermediate, and high exposure) (all p for trend < 0.001) in the subgroup analysis. After adjusting for possible confounding factors, including VAT area, the annual mean exposure to PM 10 was significantly associated with the presence of IR in both men (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.03, 1.35) and women (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.18, 1.76). Other air pollutants, such as NO 2 , SO 2 and CO, did not show any significant associations with HOMA-IR or the presence of IR. Persistent exposure to PM 10 is the main independent risk factor for IR and exhibits a dose-dependent association regardless of visceral fatness in both men and women., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Although a growing body of evidence suggests air pollution is associated with low serum vitamin D status, few studies have reported whether obesity status affects this relationship. The aim of this study was to identify associations between ambient air pollution exposure, obesity, and serum vitamin D status in the general population of South Korea., Methods: This study was conducted in a cross-sectional design. A total of 30,242 Korean adults from a nationwide general population survey were included for our final analysis. Air pollutants included particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), and carbon monoxide (CO). We measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration to assess vitamin D status for each participant. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations between ambient air pollution and vitamin D status in each subgroup according to body mass index level., Results: The annual average concentrations of PM 10 , NO 2 , and CO were significantly associated with a lower serum vitamin D concentration and higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. The results show a significant association between serum vitamin D status and PM 10 exposure in obese subgroup. Based on the gender, females with obesity showed more strong association (negative) between different air pollutants and low serum vitamin D concentration and a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. However, this pattern was not observed in men., Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that women with obesity may be more vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency in the context of persistent exposure to air pollution., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Although a significant association between air pollution and mental health has been identified, few studies have addressed this relationship based on cancer diagnosis. This study investigated whether associations between long-term air pollution and mental health conditions differ based on whether the individual has been diagnosed with cancer., Methods: Nationally representative data were used and a total of 38,101 adults were included in the analyses. We assessed mental health factors such as perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, and analyzed the associations between these factors and individuals' annual average exposure to air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide., Results: Compared with the general population, PM 10 exposure in cancer survivors predicted a higher risk of depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] =1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-1.69) and suicidal ideation (OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.01-1.64). Notably, the statistically significant relationship between PM 10 exposure and suicidal ideation in cancer survivors disappeared after further adjustment for depressive symptoms (p = 0.3103). This pattern was also observed in the result of propensity score-matched analysis for comparison between cancer survivors and the general population., Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that cancer survivors with depressive symptoms may be more susceptible to suicidal ideation in the context of persistent PM 10 exposure., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Although previous reports have found that obesity intensifies the negative impact of long-term air pollution exposure on the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level, few studies have examined whether the type of abdominal adiposity, such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio (VSR) affects this relationship. We investigated the association between ambient air pollution and LDL-C in Korean adults and identified whether this association is different by the type of abdominal adiposity., Methods: A total of 2737 adults were included. Abdominal fat areas were quantified by computed tomography, and the annual average concentration of air pollutants was included in this analysis., Results: In the total sample, none of the air pollutants was associated with LDL-C level in either the crude or adjusted model (all p > 0.05). The association was not significant even in subgroups stratified according to the obesity status defined by body mass index, and no interaction on the LDL-C level was also found (all p int  > 0.05). In the subgroup analysis stratified according to adiposity level, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM 10 ) [β (SE) = 3.58 (1.59); p = 0.0245] and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) exposures [β (SE) = 2.71 (1.27); p = 0.0330] in the high-VAT group were associated with the increased LDL-C level. Interactions on LDL-C level were also found between VAT level and ambient air pollutants such as PM 10 and SO 2 (both p int  < 0.05). In the analysis of the VSR, PM 10 exposure showed a significant interaction on LDL level (p int  = 0.0032). However, the strength of these associations was not significant across all SAT subgroup (all p int  > 0.05)., Conclusions: In conclusion, we found that association between air pollution exposure and LDL-C level is different by abdominal fat distribution.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between ambient air pollutants, obesity, and kidney function., Subjects/methods: We enrolled 3345 people who had undergone health checkups at Seoul National University Hospital. We recorded the annual average concentrations of ambient air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and carbon monoxide (CO), in each subject's residential area. Various obesity traits, such as body mass index, waist circumference, and visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue areas, were measured by quantified computerized tomography (CT), and kidney function was assessed in relation to estimated glomerular filtration rate as an indicator of kidney function., Results: High PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 , and CO concentrations were significantly associated with decreased kidney function (β = -2.39 and standard error = 0.32, -1.00 and 0.31, -1.23 and 0.28, and -1.32 and 0.29, respectively), and with the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association between air pollutant concentrations and decreased kidney function, including CKD, was stronger among those with high abdominal adiposity, as defined by CT measurement. For example, the association between increased concentrations of air pollutants and the prevalence of CKD was stronger in the group with greater visceral adiposity than in the group with less visceral adiposity (aORs = 1.29 vs 1.16 for PM 10 , 1.42 vs 1.21 for SO 2 , and 1.27 vs 1.11 for CO)., Conclusions: Long-term exposure to higher concentrations of air pollutants was unfavorably associated with kidney function and CKD prevalence, especially in people with abdominal obesity. This may indicate a high susceptibility to air pollutants in obese people.

We assessed whether visceral adipose tissue (VAT) compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) has modifying effects on the cross-sectional association between ambient air pollution and hypertension in Korean men. This study included 1,417 adult men who visited a health checkup center. Abdominal fat depots were measured by computed tomography, and we used the annual average concentrations of ambient air pollutants such as particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide (CO). The annual mean concentrations of PM 10 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12-1.52) and CO (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.03-1.39) showed a positive association with hypertension. In particular, modifying effects on hypertension were found between PM 10 and VAT-related traits such as VAT and visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio (VSR). The association between PM 10 and hypertension was much stronger in the high-VAT (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.12-2.71) and high-VSR groups (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.23-1.91). However, the strength of association across levels of SAT was not observed (P int  = 0.4615). In conclusion, we found that association between PM 10 exposure and hypertension is different by abdominal fat distribution.

An association between exposure to air pollution and liver enzymes in certain areas or older people has been reported in the literature; however, it cannot be generalized to the general population. We investigated the association between air pollution, liver enzyme levels, and alcohol consumption using nationwide data of South Korean adults. Air pollutants included particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO). Liver enzymes included alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Exposure to air pollutants were significantly associated with elevation of log ALT and log AST, especially increases from 0.0073 IU/L (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.0042, 0.0104) to 0.0251 IU/L (95% CI = 0.0132, 0.0371) per interquartile range (IQR) increase of each pollutant (all pollutants: p < 0.001). Association of the liver enzymes with PM 10 (β (95% CI) = 0.0285 IU/L (0.0201, 0.0368) for log ALT; β (95% CI) = 0.0139 IU/L (0.0079, 0.0198) for log AST) and CO (β (95% CI) = 0.0247 IU/L (0.0182, 0.0311) for log ALT; β (95% CI) = 0.0164 IU/L (0.0118, 0.0210) for log AST) were only significant among drinkers. Our findings suggest that chronic exposure to PM 10 and CO is a risk factor for liver enzymes increases among the general adult population who admitted to drinking alcohol.

Blood pressure (BP) is a typical complex trait, and the genetic susceptibility of individuals to changes in BP induced by air pollution exposure is different. Although interactions of exposure to air pollutants with several candidate genes have been identified, genome-wide interaction studies (GWISs) are needed to understand the association between them with BP. Therefore, we aimed to discover the unique genetic loci for BP that interact with exposure to air pollutants in Korean adults. We ultimately included 1868 participants in the discovery step and classified them into groups of those with low-to-moderate exposure and high exposure to average annual concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10). Because none of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) achieved a genome-wide level of significance of pint < 5 × 10–8 for either systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP), we considered the top 10 ranking SNPs for each BP trait. To validate these suggestive SNPs, we finally selected six genetic variants for SBP and five variants for DBP, respectively. In a replication result for SBP, only one SNP (rs12914147) located in an intergenic region of the NR2F2 showed a significant interaction. We also identified several genetic susceptibility loci (e.g., CHST11, TEK, and ITGA1) implicated in candidate mechanisms such as inflammation and oxidative stress in the discovery step, although their interaction effects were not replicated. Our study reports the first GWIS finding to our knowledge, and the association between exposure to PM10 and BP levels may be determined in part by several newly discovered genetic suggestive loci, including NR2F2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient air pollution is one of the most important global health issues. Although several studies have been reported the associations between air pollution and brain function or structure, impact of the air pollution on cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) have rarely been explored in Asian adult population. We evaluated the association between exposure to air pollutants and cSVD in Korean asymptomatic adults. This cross-sectional study included 3257 participants of a health screening program from January 2006 to December 2013. All participants performed brain magnetic resonance imaging. To assess the cSVD, we considered three features such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), silent lacunar infarction (SLI), and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). The annual average exposure to air pollutants [particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO)] was generated. The mean [standard deviation (SD)] age of the total 3257 participants was 56.5 (9.5) years, and 54.0% of them were male. Among all the included participants, 273 (8.4%) had SLI and 135 (4.1%) had CMBs. The mean volume (± SD) of WMH was 2.72 ± 6.57 mL. In result of linear regression analysis, the volume of WMH was associated with various potential factors including age, height, weight, smoking and alcohol consumption status, blood pressure (BP), hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. SLI-positive group, compared to the SLI-negative group, was older, shorter, and had higher BP as well as higher frequency of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. After adjusting for covariates, the annual average concentration of PM10 was significantly associated with the volume of WMH [β (95% CI) for Model 1 = 0.082 (0.038- 0.125), p < 0.001; β (95% CI) for Model 2 = 0.060 (0.013, 0.107), p = 0.013]. CMBs were not associated with the annual average concentration of PM10. No significant associations of NO2, SO2, and CO with cSVD were observed. In conclusion, PM10 exposure is associated with significant increases in brain WMH' volume and silent lacunar infarcts in asymptomatic adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although some studies have tried to determine the impact of long-term air pollution exposure on obesity, they have mainly focused on body mass index (BMI) and the results are inconsistent. Therefore, we investigated the association of annual ambient air pollution exposure with various obesity traits, including computed tomography-measured abdominal fatness, in a large Korean adult population. Patients and methods: A total of 5,114 participants who underwent routine health check-ups at Seoul National University Hospital were included in the analysis. We calculated the annual average concentrations of ambient air pollutants, such as particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), using the individual's zip code. Obesity-related indicators included the BMI, waist circumference (WC), percent body fat (PBF), total adipose tissue (TAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Results: The mean age of the population was 53.5 and 70.9% were men. The mean annual concentrations of PM10 and NO2 were 49.4 μg/m3 and 30.3 ppb, respectively. In the full covariates model, adjusted for demographic and clinical variables, interquartile range increase in annual average concentration of PM10 and NO2 was not associated with any obesity-related phenotypes including BMI, WC, PBF, TAT, VAT, and SAT (all P>0.05). Likewise, no significant association between air pollutants and obesity-related traits was observed in any subgroups, stratified by sex and age (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Annual exposure to ambient air pollution is not associated with any obesity-related traits in Korean adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Associations between air pollution and blood pressure (BP) traits can be modified by several candidate genes, which might explain differences in individual genetic susceptibility. Based on recent evidence hypothesized to link air pollution and BP traits, we examined whether the polymorphisms of CDH13 —a candidate gene—would modify the relationship between them in adult Korean men. A total of 1816 subjects were included. We divided them into two groups of high or low to moderate exposure using the annual average concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM 10). We conducted an interaction analysis of PM 10 exposure using 200 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), located within CDH13 , in subjects with regard to BP traits and hypertension. The rs7500599 intronic SNP of CDH1 3 had the strongest signals for all BP traits including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, and hypertension, by interacting with PM 10 exposure. An additional stratified analysis showed that the effects of PM 10 exposure on elevated BP and hypertension increased gradually in proportion to the number of minor alleles in this SNP. In addition, PM 10 exposure in the TT or GT genotype groups did not show significant associations with BP traits, whereas in a homozygous risk allele (GG) group, PM 10 exposure was significantly associated with BP traits and hypertension. For SBP, these patterns were reproducible at two independent sampling sites. This CDH13 polymorphism amplifies the negative associations of PM 10 exposure and elevated BP or hypertension in Korean men. Highlights • Significant interactions between rs7500599 and PM 10 were found in Korean men. • Alternate allele carriers were more susceptible to blood pressure increments by PM 10. • For SBP, these patterns were reproducible at two independent sampling sites. • PM 10 in the risk carriers were associated with increased odds of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung function can be influenced by genetic factors, which may explain individual differences in susceptibility to the effects of air pollution. This study investigated whether the effect of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM 10 ) on lung function is modified by Cadherin 13 ( CDH13) genetic variants in Korean men. This study included a total of 1827 men who were recruited from two health check-up centers, and the annual average PM 10 concentrations were used. A total of 200 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CDH13 gene were selected for this study. We found that a SNP in CHD13 intron, rs1862830, had the strongest associations with both forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) ( p int = 1.90 × 10 −4 ) and forced vital capacity (FVC) ( p int = 1.88 × 10 −3 ) by interacting with PM 10 in a recessive model. A stratified association analysis according to this SNP showed that PM 10 in the AG or GG genotype group was not significantly associated with either FEV 1 or FVC, whereas in homozygous risk-allele carriers (AA), FEV 1 and FVC decreased significantly (by 3.8% and 3.1%, respectively) per 10 μg/m 3 of increase in PM 10 concentration. This pattern was also reproducible in the independent subgroups that were classified according to recruitment site. The present study replicated the CDH13 gene-by-PM 10 interaction effect on lung function at the gene level, revealing that a genetic variant of CDH13 modified the relationship between PM 10 and lung function decline in Korean men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several genome-wide interaction studies (GWIS) have been performed in specific European populations to understand the missing link between genetic and environmental factors for lung function, GWIS of Asian samples remain rare. Therefore, we performed a GWIS of exposure to air pollution to identify loci for lung function in Korean adult men. A total of 1826 adult men recruited from two health check-up centers were included in the analysis and the annual mean concentrations of ambient particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM 10) were used. In case of forced vital capacity (FVC), one SNP (rs12312730) that passed our genome-wide threshold of p int < 1 × 10–5 was detected in the intronic region of the BICD1 gene on chromosome 12. In addition, we found two variants (rs6743376 and rs17042888) located near the IL1RN-IL1F10 gene that were involved in the inflammatory response and associated with decreased FVC via interaction with PM 10 exposure. A stratified association analysis according to these SNP genotypes showed that PM 10 concentrations in subjects with one or two of the risk alleles, compared with those with the non-risk allele, were significantly correlated with a reduction in FVC. This pattern was replicated in another 892 Korean adult samples. The current study reports the first GWIS discovery in an Asian population: the BICD1 and IL1RN-IL1F10 genes may contribute to the decrease in FVC levels by interacting with PM 10 exposure. • Significant interactions between BICD1 or IL1RN-IL1F10 and PM 10 for FVC were found. • The several SNPs in these genes were more susceptible to FVC decline by PM 10. • For FVC, these interaction effects were reproducible in another sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]