Short-term association of fine particulate matter and its constituents with oxidative stress, symptoms and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis: A panel study

Xin Li; Haisheng Wu; Weiwei Xing; Wenrong Xia; Pingping Jia; Kun Yuan; Fang Guo; Jinjun Ran; Xiaoling Wang; Yanxin Ren; Lina Dong; Shengzhi Sun; Donggang Xu; Jinhui Li

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2023.108319

Short-term association of fine particulate matter and its constituents with oxidative stress, symptoms and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis: A panel study

Environ Int. 2023 Dec:182:108319. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108319. Epub 2023 Nov 10.

Authors

Xin Li¹, Haisheng Wu², Weiwei Xing³, Wenrong Xia³, Pingping Jia⁴, Kun Yuan⁵, Fang Guo², Jinjun Ran⁶, Xiaoling Wang⁷, Yanxin Ren⁸, Lina Dong⁹, Shengzhi Sun¹⁰, Donggang Xu¹¹, Jinhui Li¹²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, China.
² School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
³ Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁴ JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁶ School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁷ Clinical Laboratory, Shanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, China.
⁸ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
⁹ Core Laboratory, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, China.
¹⁰ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: Shengzhisun@ccmu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: xudg@bmi.ac.cn.
¹² Department of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: jinhuili@stanford.edu.

PMID: 37980881
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108319

Abstract

Background: Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and its specific constituents might exacerbate allergic rhinitis (AR) conditions. However, the evidence is still inconclusive.

Method: We conducted a panel study of 49 patients diagnosed with AR > 1 year prior to the study in Taiyuan, China, to investigate associations of individual exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents with oxidative parameters, symptoms, and quality of life among AR patients. All participants underwent repeated assessments of health and PM exposure at 4 time points in both the heating and nonheating seasons from June 2017 to January 2018. AR patients' oxidative parameters were assessed using nasal lavage, and their subjective symptoms and quality of life were determined through in-person interviews using a structured questionnaire. Short-term personal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents was estimated using the time-microenvironment-activity pattern and data from the nearest air sampler, respectively. We applied mixed-effects regression models to estimate the short-term effects of PM_2.5 and its constituents.

Results: The results showed that exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents, including BaP, PAHs, SO₄^2-, NH₄⁺, V, Cr, Cu, As, Se, Cd, and Pb, was significantly associated with increased oxidative stress, as indicated by an increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) index. Exposure to PM_2.5 and its components (V, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, and Se) was associated with decreased antioxidant activity, as indicated by a decrease in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) index. Additionally, increased visual analog scale (VAS) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) scores indicated that exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents exacerbated inflammatory symptoms and affected quality of life in AR patients.

Conclusion: Exposure to PM_2.5 and specific constituents, could exacerbate AR patients' inflammatory symptoms and adversely affect their quality of life in the heavily industrialized city of Taiyuan, China. These findings may have potential biological and policy implications.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Oxidative stress; PM(2.5) constituents; Particulate matter; Quality of life; Symptoms.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / adverse effects
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
China
Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
Humans
Oxidative Stress
Particulate Matter / adverse effects
Particulate Matter / analysis
Quality of Life
Rhinitis, Allergic*

Substances

Particulate Matter
Air Pollutants