Impact of Exposure to Environmental Particulate Matter on the Onset of Giant Cell Arteritis

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM₁₀) and the development of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and its ischemic complications.

This was case-crossover study on consecutive patients who received a diagnosis of GCA in three hospitals in northern Italy between 2013 and 2021. The PM₁₀ hourly and daily average concentrations, collected in the Italian monitoring network and archived by Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, were determined using European reference. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to determine patients' daily exposures to them. We employed conditional logistic regression to estimate the effect of exposure on GCA symptoms onset or ischemic complications.

We included 232 patients. A positive association was observed between exposure to PM₁₀ and GCA risk, with an incremental odd of 27.1% (95% confidence interval 5.8-52.6) for every 10-μg/m³ increase in PM₁₀ concentration within a 60-day period. We did not find any significant association for shorter periods or with ischemic complications. Subgroup analysis found a significantly higher incremental risk at a 60-day lag for patients ≥70 years old. Comparing patients who were chronically exposed to high PM₁₀ levels (26.9 ± 13.8 μg/m³) to those who were not (11.9 ± 7.9 μg/m³) revealed that only in the former group was there an association between GCA onset and increased PM₁₀ levels in the preceding 60 days.

Exposure to environmental PM₁₀ in the preceding 60 days seems to be associated with an increased risk of developing GCA, especially in older individuals with prolonged exposure to high levels of air pollution.