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Air pollution and exacerbation of skin itching and sleep disturbance in Iranian atopic dermatitis patients

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Abstract

Background

For about three decades now, the number of people suffering from atopy including atopic dermatitis (AD) has been increasing in developed countries. Genetic background and environmental factors including air pollution play an effective role in its incidence. This study examined the association between air pollutants and exacerbation of AD symptoms including sleep disturbance and itching in AD patients of Tehran.

Methods

In this panel study, 31 patients with AD who admitted to Razi Hospital, dermatology hospital in Tehran, entered the research. Daily information including questions on disease symptoms (sleep disturbance, itching) and duration of outdoor stay (in hours) were collected using a questionnaire. The mean 24-h concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 pollutants were obtained from the Air Quality Control Company. The relationship between the concentrations of the pollutants and exacerbation of the disease symptoms was investigated using the GEE (Generalized Estimating Equations) model.

Results

There was a significant relationship between the concentrations of air pollutants and exacerbation of sleep disturbance and itching on the same day, before, and after adjusting the effects of the confounding variables, so that the estimated odds ratios (95% confidence interval) between PM10 and PM2.5 and exacerbation of itching were 1.06 (1.02–1.10) and 1.17 (1.07–1.28), respectively.

Conclusions

There was a significant statistical relationship between the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and exacerbation of sleep disturbance and itching. PM2.5 showed a stronger relationship with the exacerbation of symptoms compared to PM10.

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Abbreviations

AD:

atopic dermatitis

CIs:

Confidence intervals

GEE:

Generalized Estimating Equations

NCDC:

National Climatic Data Center

ORs:

Odds ratios

PM2.5 :

Particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter

PM10 :

Particulate matter ≤10 μm in aerodynamic diameter

SCORAD:

Scoring Atopic Dermatitis

SD:

Standard deviation

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the Institute for Environmental Research (IER) of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (grant number 92-01-46-22328). We thank all the patients who participated in this research, and the Razi hospital staffs for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poursina Street, Keshavarz Boulevard, Tehran, 1417613151, Iran

    Pegah Nakhjirgan, Masoumeh Mahmoodi, Ramin Nabizadeh & Masud Yunesian

  2. Department of Research Methodology and Data Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, No. 1547, North Kargar Ave., Tehran, 1417993359, Iran

    Homa Kashani

  3. Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Alireza Firooz

  4. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Majid Kermani

  5. Center for Air Pollution Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Masud Yunesian

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  1. Pegah Nakhjirgan
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  2. Masoumeh Mahmoodi
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Correspondence to Homa Kashani or Masud Yunesian.

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Nakhjirgan, P., Mahmoodi, M., Kashani, H. et al. Air pollution and exacerbation of skin itching and sleep disturbance in Iranian atopic dermatitis patients. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 17, 811–816 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-019-00397-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-019-00397-4

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