Association between exposure to air pollution and the risk of vitiligo: a nationwide cohort study

Vitiligo is a depigmenting skin disorder in which oxidative stress plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. While air pollution exposure induces oxidative stress, its link to vitiligo remains unclear. This study assessed the impact of long-term air pollution exposure on vitiligo risk.

We included individuals enrolled in Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000) between 2003 and 2013. We collected air pollution exposure data from Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration. Mean daily exposure levels of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM) < 10 µm in diameter (PM₁₀), PM_2.5, nitrogen oxides (NO_x), nitrogen monoxide (NO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) over a ten-year exposure period were calculated and linked for each individual. The dose-response effect of air pollution exposure on vitiligo risk was assessed.

The study cohort comprised 748,388 individuals. 932 new cases of vitiligo were identified, with an incidence rate of 12.7 per 100,000 person-year. Each standard deviation increase in mean daily exposure levels of SO₂, CO, PM10, PM2.5, NOx, NO, and NO₂ was associated with an increased risk of vitiligo of 27%, 99%, 59%, 98%, 74%, 64%, and 67%, respectively.

This study highlights the association between air pollution exposure and vitiligo risk with a dose-response relationship.