title: Exposure to PM10 as a risk factor for the development of nasal obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether air pollution is a potential risk factor for airways obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study (11.3 +/- 2.9 years) that took place in two areas (Eordea where concentration of PM10 was high and Grevena, Greece). We used the MRC questionnaire, spirometry, and anterior rhinomanometry at both visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initially we examined 3046 subjects. After excluding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, we re-examined 872 subjects and 168 of them had developed COPD (Grevena: 24.3%, Eordea: 18.5%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the area of residence and thus exposure to air pollution was not a risk factor for the development of COPD (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.18-1.46, P = 0.21). On the other hand, residence in Eordea was strongly related to the development of severe nasal obstruction (OR: 11.47, 95% CI: 6.15-21.40, P < 0.001). Similar results were found after excluding patients with COPD stage I as well as in the subgroup of never smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Air pollution was associated with severe nasal obstruction but not with COPD development.
authors.forename: Lazaros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sichletidis
authors.forename: Dionisios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spyratos
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsiotsios
authors.forename: Anna-Bettina
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Haidich
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ganidis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Michailidis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kottakis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Melas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D025363:Rhinomanometry; D012307:Risk Factors; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter