Short-term exposure to air pollution seems to be associated with psoriasis flare, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in JAMA Dermatology .

Francesco Bellinato, M.D., from the University of Verona in Italy, and colleagues examined whether short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with psoriasis flares in a study comprising case-crossover and cross-sectional designs. The case-crossover analysis included patients with at least one disease flare between two consecutive assessments within three to four months. The cross-sectional analysis included patients who received any systemic treatment for six months or longer. Data were included for 957 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis who had 4,398 follow-up visits; 369 were included in the case-crossover study.

The researchers found that compared with the control visit, in the 60 days before the psoriasis flare, the concentrations of all pollutants were significantly higher. In the cross-sectional analysis, the risk for a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index increase of 5 or more points was increased in association with exposure to mean coarse particulate matter (2.5 to 10.0 µm in diameter) over 20 µg/m ³ or mean fine particulate matter (<2.5 µm in diameter) over 15 µg/m ³ in the 60 days before assessment (adjusted odds ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 1.55 [1.21 to 1.99] and 1.25 [1.0 to 1.57], respectively).

"Further study is needed to examine whether these findings generalize to other populations and to better understand the mechanisms by which air pollution may affect psoriasis disease activity," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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