title: Adult atopic dermatitis and exposure to air pollutants-a nationwide population-based study.
abstract: There is a trend toward an increased worldwide prevalence of allergic diseases. It is speculated that industrialization with resultant air pollution plays a role. However, there are sparse epidemiologic data on the relation between air pollution and atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults.
  
  
  
  To investigate the relation between exposure to air pollutants and adult AD in a cross-sectional study based on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.
  
  
  
  We identified 1,023 adult patients with AD and 4,092 age- and sex-matched controls without allergic diseases in 2011. Using data from 71 Environmental Protection Agency monitoring stations across Taiwan, levels of exposure to air pollutants were determined by the location of a subject's place of residence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, levels of urbanization, and family income, was performed.
  
  
  
  We found an association between particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter or the Pollutant Standards Index (the highest sub-index of the concentrations of 5 main air pollutants after transformation) and the development of adult AD. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.05 (95% confidence interval 1.02-1.08) and 1.02 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.03), respectively.
  
  
  
  These results demonstrated that air pollution, represented by particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter or the Pollutant Standards Index, was modestly associated with the development of AD in adults.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; PhD Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Tung
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kai-Chen
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Der-Yuan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Heng
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ben-Jei
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Tsuang
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: ysanne@vghtc.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsing
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014507:Urbanization; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants