Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Increased Risk of Membranous Nephropathy in China

Abstract

The effect of air pollution on the changing pattern of glomerulopathy has not been studied. We estimated the profile of and temporal change in glomerular diseases in an 11-year renal biopsy series including 71,151 native biopsies at 938 hospitals spanning 282 cities in China from 2004 to 2014, and examined the association of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter of 70 μg/m³. We also found that higher 3-year average air quality index was associated with increased risk of MN. In conclusion, in this large renal biopsy series, the frequency of MN increased over the study period, and long-term exposure to high levels of PM_2.5 was associated with an increased risk of MN.