Air Pollution and Allergic Rhinitis: Role in Symptom Exacerbation and Strategies for Management

Carmen H Li; Kyle Sayeau; Anne K Ellis

doi:10.2147/JAA.S237758

Air Pollution and Allergic Rhinitis: Role in Symptom Exacerbation and Strategies for Management

J Asthma Allergy. 2020 Aug 26:13:285-292. doi: 10.2147/JAA.S237758. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Carmen H Li^{1

2}, Kyle Sayeau^{1

2}, Anne K Ellis^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
² Allergy Research Unit, Kingston Health Sciences Center - KGH Site, Kingston, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

Abstract

This article reviews the current understanding of the role of air pollution in both the symptom exacerbation and rising prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) for the development of future AR therapeutics and management strategies. We discuss the epidemiological evidence for this relationship through birth cohort studies, the economic impact of AR, and the influence of air pollution through the lens of the exposome framework of allergic disease development. This is followed by a discussion on the influence of diesel exhaust and diesel exhaust particles (DEP) from motor vehicle emissions and their implication in the rising prevalence of allergic disease and allergic sensitization through triggering inflammatory signalling pathways that exacerbate AR symptoms. Finally, a summary is provided of clinical trials assessing the influence of air pollution on AR with a depiction of currently available therapies and management strategies. Future directions in the development of AR modalities given the air pollution-mediated symptom exacerbation are challenged with unfolding the complex gene-environment interaction product of heterogenous AR presentation.

Keywords: diesel exhaust; particulate matter; therapy; vehicle emissions.

Publication types

Review