Title: | Relationships between emissions of toxic airborne molecules and type 1 diabetes incidence in children: An ecologic study |
Author(s): | Di Ciaula A; Portincasa P; |
Address: | "Clinica Medica 'A. Murri', Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari 70124, Italy. agostinodiciaula@tiscali.it. Clinica Medica 'A. Murri', Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari 70124, Italy" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1948-9358 (Print) 1948-9358 (Electronic) 1948-9358 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes originates from gene-environment interactions, with increasing incidence over time. AIM: To identify correlates of childhood type 1 diabetes in European countries using an ecological approach. Several environmental variables potentially influencing the onset of type 1 diabetes have been previously evaluated. However, the relationships between epidemiologic data and exposure to toxic airborne molecules are scarcely studied. METHODS: We employed an ecological model to explore, in a wide time period (1990-2018), associations between type 1 diabetes incidence in 19 European countries (systematic literature review) and the nationwide production of five widely diffused air pollutants: particulate matter < 10 mum (PM10), nitrogen oxides (NO), non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulphur oxide (SO(2)), and ammonia. RESULTS: Data confirm a raising incidence of type 1 diabetes in 18 out of 19 explored countries. The average difference (last vs first report, all countries) was +6.9 x 100000/year, with values ranging from -1.4 (Germany) to +16.6 (Sweden) per 100000/year. Although the overall production of pollutants decreased progressively from 1990 to 2018, type 1 diabetes incidence was positively associated with the nationwide emissions of PM10, VOCs, and NO but not with those of SO2 and ammonia. Type 1 diabetes incidence was significantly higher in countries with high emissions than in those with low emissions of PM10 (27.5 +/- 2.4 vs 14.6 +/- 2.4 x 100000 residents, respectively), VOCs (24.5 +/- 4.4 vs 13.2 +/- 1.7 x 100000 residents, respectively), and NO (26.6 +/- 3 vs 13.4 +/- 2.4 x 100000 residents, respectively), but not of SO(2) or ammonia. CONCLUSION: Evidence justify further studies to explore better links between long-term air quality and type 1 diabetes onset at the individual level, which should include exposures during pregnancy. In this respect, type 1 diabetes could be, at least in part, a preventable condition. Thus, primary prevention policies acting through a marked abatement of pollutant emissions might attenuate future type 1 diabetes incidence throughout Europe" |
Keywords: | Air pollution Epidemiology Nitrogen oxide Non-methane volatile organic compounds Particulate matter Type 1 diabetes; |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEDi Ciaula, Agostino Portincasa, Piero eng 2021/05/18 World J Diabetes. 2021 May 15; 12(5):673-684. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i5.673" |