A new Canadian study reveals a significant link between air pollution and autoimmune diseases. Could it be that our immune system reacts even before us to the changing world outside?
By Yonatan Nissen, Angle - a news agency for science and the environment
In 2019, the World Health Organization published its ten plagues - ten eאThe most significant days for global health - and for the first time, air pollution entered the list. And not only does it appear there, air pollution and the climate crisis have earned a place of honor: right at the top of the list.
As research in the field progresses, the disastrous consequences of air pollution on our health are becoming more and more clear. A new Canadian study He found that long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases that affect the movement system in the body (rheumatism), such as lupus, systemic sclerosis, and more.
"The study indicates that exposure to air pollutants, even at low concentrations, is linked to a wide range of autoimmune diseases," says Dr. Zohar Barnet-Yitzhaky, Head of the Chair for Environmental and Social Sustainability, Rupin Academic Center. "It may help in a better understanding of the causes of this morbidity."
from defense to attack
In autoimmune diseases, there is a disruption in the functioning of the immune system: the immune cells attack the body, and the damage can lead to a disorder that is limited to a single organ, and even to a multisystem disease. The cause of some of these diseases is unknown, but there are known triggers that lead to their outbreak, such as infections and environmental factors. A relatively well-known example is solar radiation that can worsen the health condition of lupus patients: while a healthy person's immune system manages to clear cells damaged by this radiation, in these patients the removal of the damaged cells is slower and causes an inflammatory reaction.
Sustainability About 100 autoimmune diseases are diagnosed And studies show whose rate in the population is on the rise. Among the diseases: type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system attacks the pancreas and impairs its ability to produce insulin; Lupus, which affects many organs in the body and, among other things, damages the function of the kidneys, blood vessels and heart and causes the appearance of multiple rashes and joint pain; Scleroderma, which damages the skin (and produces "hard skin") and sometimes also internal organs such as the heart, kidneys and lungs; and Scheurgen's syndrome, which mainly affects the salivary glands and lacrimal glands, so the common symptoms of the disease include dry mouth and eyes.
The price of pollution
In the new study, published in the scientific journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, the researchers analyzed the medical history of more than 6 million adult residents of Quebec, Canada. The air pollution data was cross-referenced with the residential location of the subjects, who were residents with medical records of at least 4 years. In addition, with the help of statistical tools, the researchers removed the influence of factors that may affect the results of the study such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, living in an urban or rural area and smoking habits.
Among other things, the study looked at one of the most common and dangerous air pollutants: respirable particles up to 2.5 micrometers in size (PM2.5). Due to their tiny size, these particles are able to penetrate into the respiratory system, into the lungs and from there into the blood system.
The study found a clear link between PM2.5 air pollution and many autoimmune diseases such as lupus, Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma and more, which one in 10,000 people suffer from. The findings may be particularly disturbing because, according to the Canadian government, the levels of air pollution in Quebec are often much lower than the values considered high, and even at these low levels an effect on the health of the subjects was found.
However, researchers are not sure what in the air pollution causes these diseases. The accepted explanation is that inhaling pollutants over time triggers systemic inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to or worsen autoimmune diseases. Dr. Brent-Yitzhaky testifies that "there is previous research evidence of a link between exposure to air pollutants and a limited number of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis." Additionally, previous researches Exposure to air pollution has also been shown to trigger flare-ups of rheumatoid arthritis.
The disease of the industrialized world
Air pollution is common in many countries, and proving the connection between the state of the air and various diseases - may lead to a change in policy, and thus a significant improvement in the health of the public. The latest assessments indicate that millions of premature deaths could be prevented each year if we phased out fossil fuels, and made changes in transportation and heavy industry to reduce air pollution.
The effect of air pollution on the development of diseases has been studied extensively in recent years. According to Brent-Yitzhaki, "it is now known that exposure to air pollutants is linked to a wide range of heart and lung diseases, but also to a number of other diseases, such as diabetes." Additionally, British research recently published showed that poor air quality increases the risk of developing two or more chronic diseases: the researchers found that among adults aged 45 and older, high cumulative exposure to small amounts of PM2.5 particles is associated with a higher risk of developing more than one chronic disease, such as hypertension and lung disease.
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How do we continue from here?
"We live in a complex era, both in terms of our accumulated knowledge, and also in terms of the increasing exposure to chemicals and pollutants - in the air, food, water and products we consume," testifies Brent-Yitzhak. "It is important to maintain proportions and understand that not every exposure will indeed cause illness." In addition, it is important to remember that in recent years there has been an increase in the awareness of doctors and the population for autoimmune diseases, and at the same time - in their diagnosis; These phenomena may explain part of the upward trend recorded in the rate of autoimmune diseases.
The Canadian study joins a long line of studies that warn of the severe effects of exposure to air pollutants on human health. "The fact that we are dealing with exposure to relatively low concentrations of these pollutants emphasizes the need to reduce emissions and improve air quality," says Brent-Yitzhaky. According to him, these studies indicate that we must promote the change. "On a personal level, public awareness of air pollutants and their effects on health should be raised, and exposure to these pollutants should be reduced as much as possible," he concludes. "At the national level - we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable energies. It is important that the decision-makers know the research and act according to it."
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