Exposure to PM2.5 via vascular endothelial growth factor relationship: Meta-analysis

PLoS One. 2018 Jun 18;13(6):e0198813. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198813. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

This study investigated the association of PM2.5 exposure with VEGF by conducting a systematic review of existing literature and performing a meta-analysis. We searched all the studies published in the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang Electronic Database before June 2017. Finally six studies were identified. It confirmed that the increase in VEGF (β = 1.23 pg/ml, 95% CI: 0.45, 2.01) was significantly associated with the PM2.5 mass concentration of 10 μg/m3. Studies from Canada showed that PM2.5 exposure statistically elevated the level of VEGF level that an increase of 1.20 pg/ml (95% CI: 0.88, 1.52) in VEGF was associated with per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration. Other subgroup analyses indicated that the effects of PM2.5 exposure on VEGF differed per the in different exposure assessment methods, study designs, and study settings. It was concluded that elevated VEGF levels was significantly positive associated with PM2.5 exposure. Exposure assessment methods and study countries were the major sources of heterogeneity among studies.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Inhalation Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Inhalation Exposure / analysis
  • Particle Size
  • Particulate Matter / adverse effects*
  • Particulate Matter / analysis
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / blood*

Substances

  • Particulate Matter
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Grants and funding

This work was supported financially by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81460446) and GuangXi Natural Science Foundation (2015GXNSFDA139021). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manus.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedcript.