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TOPLINE:

Higher exposure to particulate matter with a diameter < 2.5 µm (PM_2.5) was associated with a significantly increased risk for incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) among Taiwanese adults.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a longitudinal study using data from a Taiwanese cohort between 2005 and 2017 to determine whether exposure to PM_2.5 affected the risk of developing SLE.
• They included 268,254 adults (mean age, 39.3 years; 51% women) and followed them up for a mean of 9.8 years.
• New-onset SLE was determined using data from a national registry.
• Annual average concentrations of PM_2.5 were estimated using data from Taiwan’s air quality-monitoring database at the residential addresses of participants.

TAKEAWAY:

• A total of 151 adults (0.1%) developed new-onset SLE, yielding an incidence of 5.75 cases per 100,000 person-years.
• Each 5-µg/m³ increase in exposure to PM_2.5 was associated with a 3.35-fold higher risk for incident SLE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 3.35; 95% CI, 2.94-3.82).
• A significant positive linear relationship was observed between exposure to PM_2.5 and the risk for incident SLE across all age and sex subgroups.
• Female sex (aHR, 10.00; 95% CI, 5.56-16.67) and former smoking (aHR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.23-5.48) were identified as other independent risk factors for incident SLE.

IN PRACTICE:

“[The] findings suggest that it is imperative to implement effective public policies aimed at improving air quality to reduce the incidence of SLE,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Yun-Ju Lai, MD, PhD, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. It was published online on July 20, 2025, in Lupus Science & Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

The status of genes associated with SLE susceptibility was not known. Data on income levels or environmental risk factors linked to SLE, such as exposure to crystalline silica, were unavailable. Reliance on registry data rather than clinical assessment may have reduced the diagnostic accuracy. All participants were from Taiwan, thereby affecting the generalizability of the findings.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by grants from the Department of Health, Taipei City Government. The authors declared having no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.