Exposure to PM2.5 via vascular endothelial growth factor relationship: Meta-analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 6; p. e0198813
• Main Authors: Sun, Yi, Wang, Yao, Yuan, Shu, Wen, Jialing, Li, Weiyu, Yang, Liu, Huang, Xiaoyan, Mo, Yanmei, Zhao, Yingqi, Lu, Yuanming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 18.06.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Air pollution; Angiogenesis; Autophagy; Biology and Life Sciences; Bone marrow; Carbon; Cardiovascular disease; Engineering and Technology; Environmental health; Exposure; Health aspects; Humans; Hypertension; Inflammation; Infrastructure; Inhalation Exposure - adverse effects; Inhalation Exposure - analysis; Literature reviews; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Meta-analysis; Military medicine; Outdoor air quality; Particle Size; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - adverse effects; Particulate Matter - analysis; Physical Sciences; Public health; Research and Analysis Methods; Studies; Subgroups; Toxicology; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood; Wang, Shu; China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198813

This study investigated the association of PM2.5 exposure with VEGF by conducting a systematic review of existing literature and performing a meta-analysis. We searched all the studies published in the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang Electronic Database before June 2017. Finally six studies were identified. It confirmed that the increase in VEGF (β = 1.23 pg/ml, 95% CI: 0.45, 2.01) was significantly associated with the PM2.5 mass concentration of 10 μg/m3. Studies from Canada showed that PM2.5 exposure statistically elevated the level of VEGF level that an increase of 1.20 pg/ml (95% CI: 0.88, 1.52) in VEGF was associated with per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration. Other subgroup analyses indicated that the effects of PM2.5 exposure on VEGF differed per the in different exposure assessment methods, study designs, and study settings. It was concluded that elevated VEGF levels was significantly positive associated with PM2.5 exposure. Exposure assessment methods and study countries were the major sources of heterogeneity among studies.