nitrogen-dioxide and Urticaria

The associations of air pollution and meteorological factors with the outpatient visits of urticaria remain poorly studied. This study aimed to assess the association between air pollution, meteorological factors, and daily outpatient visits for urticaria in Shijiazhuang, China, during 2014-2019. Daily recordings of air pollutant concentrations, meteorological data, and outpatient visits data for urticaria were collected during the 6 years. Descriptive research methods were used to describe the distribution characteristics and demographic features of urticaria. A combination of the generalized linear regression model (GLM) and distribution lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to evaluate the lag association between environmental factors and daily outpatient visits for urticaria. Stratified analyses by gender (male; female) and age (< 18 years; 18-39 years; > 39 years) were further conducted. The dose-response relationship between daily urticaria visits and CO, NO

Topics: Adolescent; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; China; Female; Humans; Male; Meteorological Concepts; Nitrogen Dioxide; Outpatients; Particulate Matter; Time Factors; Urticaria

Atopic dermatitis (AD), chronic hand eczema (CHE), and urticaria are common inflammatory skin diseases among adolescents and associated with air quality. However, the synergistic effects of ambient air pollution and second-hand smoke (SHS) have been unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study including 20,138 Chinese college students where dermatological examinations and a questionnaire survey were carried out. A generalized linear mixed model was applied for the association between individualized exposure of O3, CO, NO2, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 and the prevalence of inflammatory skin diseases. Interactions between air pollutants and SHS were analyzed. As a result, CO, NO2, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 were positively correlated with the prevalence of AD, CHE, and urticaria. Higher frequency of SHS exposure contributed to increased probabilities of AD (p = 0.042), CHE (p < 0.001), and urticaria (p = 0.002). Of note, CO (OR: 2.57 (1.16−5.69) in third quartile) and NO2 (OR: 2.38 (1.07−5.27) in third quartile) had positive interactions with SHS for AD, and PM2.5 synergized with SHS for CHE (OR: 2.25 (1.22−4.15) for second quartile). Subgroup analyses agreed with the synergistic results. In conclusion, SHS and ambient air pollution are both associated with inflammatory skin diseases, and they have a synergistic effect on the prevalence of AD and CHE.

Topics: Adolescent; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dermatitis, Atopic; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Nitrogen Dioxide; Particulate Matter; Tobacco Smoke Pollution; Urticaria

Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with several health conditions, limited not only to respiratory and cardiovascular systems but also to cutaneous tissues. However, few epidemiological studies examined pollution exposure on skin problems. Basically, the common mechanism by which pollution may affect skin physiology is by induction of oxidative stress and inflammation. Urticaria is among the skin pathologies that have been associated with pollution. Based on the combined effects of three ambient air pollutants, ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and fine particulate matter (PM) with a median aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM(2.5)), on mortality, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) in Canada was developed. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of short-term changes in AQHI with emergency department (ED) visits for urticaria in Windsor-area hospitals in Canada. Diagnosed ED visits were retrieved from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS). A time-stratified case-crossover design was applied to 2905 ED visits (males = 1215; females = 1690) for urticaria from April 2004 through December 2010. Odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for ED visits associated with increase by one unit of risk index were calculated employing conditional logistic regression. Positive and significant results were observed between AQHI levels and OR for ED visits for urticaria in Windsor for lags 2 and 3 days. A distributed lag nonlinear model technique was applied to daily counts of ED visits for lags 0 to 10 and significant results were obtained from lag 2 to lag 5 and for lag 9. These findings demonstrated associations between ambient air pollution and urticarial confirming that air pollution affects skin conditions.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Child; Emergency Service, Hospital; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Illness; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Hospitals, Urban; Humans; Infant; Male; Models, Biological; Nitrogen Dioxide; Ontario; Oxidants, Photochemical; Ozone; Particulate Matter; Risk; Sex Characteristics; Urban Health; Urticaria