Causal relationship between particulate matter 2.5 and infectious diseases: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study

• Published in: Heliyon 2024-01, Vol.10 (1), p.e23412-e23412, Article e23412
• Main Authors: Zeng, Youjie, Pang, Ke, Cao, Si, Lin, Guoxin, Tang, Juan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Causal relationship; Mendelian randomization; PM2.5; Risk factors; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23412

Previous observational studies suggested a correlation between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and infectious diseases, but causality remained uncertain. This study utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate causal relationships between PM2.5 concentrations and various infectious diseases (COVID-19 infection, hospitalized COVID-19, very severe COVID-19, urinary tract infection, bacterial pneumonia, and intestinal infection). Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was the primary method for evaluating causal associations. For significant causal estimates, multiple sensitivity tests were further performed: (i) three additional MR methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, and maximum likelihood method) for supplementing IVW; (ii) Cochrane's Q test for assessing heterogeneity; (iii) MR-Egger intercept test and MR-PRESSO global test for evaluating horizontal pleiotropy; (iv) leave-one-out sensitivity test for determining the stability. PM2.5 concentration significantly increased the risk of hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.91, 95 % CI: 1.06–3.45, P = 0.032) and very severe COVID-19 (OR = 3.29, 95 % CI: 1.48–7.35, P = 3.62E-03). However, no causal effect was identified for PM2.5 concentration on other infectious diseases (P > 0.05). Furthermore, various sensitivity tests demonstrated the reliability of significant causal relationships. Overall, lifetime elevated PM2.5 concentration increases the risk of hospitalized COVID-19 and very severe COVID-19. Therefore, controlling air pollution may help mitigate COVID-19 progression. Summary: This study employed Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the impact of PM2.5 on infectious diseases. Elevated PM2.5 levels were found to significantly increase the risk of hospitalization and severe COVID-19, highlighting the importance of air pollution control in mitigating COVID-19.