Association of Air Pollution Exposure and Interleukin-13 Haplotype with the Risk of Aggregate Bronchitic Symptoms in Children

Interleukin-13(IL-13) might play an important role in driving aggregate bronchitic symptoms pathogenesis. However, none of the studies assessed the interaction between air pollutants exposure and IL-13 gene on the risk of aggregate bronchitic symptoms in non-asthma children. To assess the independent and joint effects of the exposure to air pollution and IL-13 haplotypes on the risk of aggregate bronchitic symptoms, we conducted a cross-sectional study and focused on non-asthma children. The study population consisted of 2944 children. The effect of each air pollutant on the risk of aggregate bronchitic symptoms was estimated as odds ratios per interquartile range (IQR) change. In the multiple logistic regressions, adjusted for confounding factors, the risk of chronic phlegm was associated with PM2.5 exposure (aOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.07–2.37 per 12.51 μg/m3 change), O3 exposure (aOR, 1.54 95% CI, 1.05–2.27 per 8.28 ppb change) and SO2 exposure (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02–1.39 per 0.98 ppb change). Our study further provides the evidence that gene-environment interactions between IL-13 haplotype and O3 exposure on chronic phlegm (95% CI for interaction, 1.01–1.38). Identifying children who are more sensitive to air pollution helps us to provide them an efficient prevention to avoid aggregate bronchitic symptoms. Keywords: Air pollutants, Interleukin-13, Bronchitic symptoms