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Observational Study
. 2022 Feb;29(2):535-542.
doi: 10.1111/ene.15167. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

The effect of air pollution on COVID-19 severity in a sample of patients with multiple sclerosis

Roberto Bergamaschi  1 , Marta Ponzano  2 , Irene Schiavetti  2 , Luca Carmisciano  2 , Cinzia Cordioli  3 , Massimo Filippi  4   5   6   7   8 , Marta Radaelli  9 , Paolo Immovilli  10 , Marco Capobianco  11 , Nicola De Rossi  3 , Giampaolo Brichetto  12 , Eleonora Cocco  13   14 , Cinzia Scandellari  15 , Paola Cavalla  16 , Ilaria Pesci  17 , Antonio Zito  1 , Paolo Confalonieri  18 , Girolama Alessandra Marfia  19 , Paola Perini  20 , Matilde Inglese  21   22 , Maria Trojano  23 , Vincenzo Brescia Morra  24 , Enrico Pisoni  25 , Gioacchino Tedeschi  26 , Giancarlo Comi  27 , Mario Alberto Battaglia  28   29 , Francesco Patti  30   31 , Marco Salvetti  32   33 , Maria Pia Sormani  2   22 ; MuSC-19 study group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Observational Study

The effect of air pollution on COVID-19 severity in a sample of patients with multiple sclerosis

Roberto Bergamaschi et al. Eur J Neurol. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Some studies have shown that air pollution, often assessed by thin particulate matter with diameter below 2.5 µg/m3 (PM2.5), may contribute to severe COVID-19 courses, as well as play a role in the onset and evolution of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the impact of air pollution on COVID-19 has never been explored specifically amongst patients with MS (PwMS). This retrospective observational study aims to explore associations between PM2.5 and COVID-19 severity amongst PwMS.

Methods: Data were retrieved from an Italian web-based platform (MuSC-19) which includes PwMS with COVID-19. PM2.5 2016-2018 average concentrations were provided by the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service. Italian patients inserted in the platform from 15 January 2020 to 9 April 2021 with a COVID-19 positive test were included. Ordered logistic regression models were used to study associations between PM2.5 and COVID-19 severity.

Results: In all, 1087 patients, of whom 13% required hospitalization and 2% were admitted to an intensive care unit or died, were included. Based on the multivariate analysis, higher concentrations of PM2.5 increased the risk of worse COVID-19 course (odds ratio 1.90; p = 0.009).

Conclusions: Even if several other factors explain the unfavourable course of COVID-19 in PwMS, the role of air pollutants must be considered and further investigated.

Keywords: air pollution; coronavirus; multiple sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

R. Bergamaschi has served on scientific advisory boards for Biogen, Merck‐Serono, Novartis, Sanofi‐Genzyme; received research support from Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Merck‐Serono, Novartis, Sanofi‐Genzyme; received support for travel and congress from Biogen, Roche, Merck‐Serono, Sanofi‐Genzyme, Teva; received honoraria for speaking engagements from Biogen, Merck‐Serono, Novartis, Sanofi‐Genzyme. M. Filippi is Editor‐in‐Chief of the Journal of Neurology, Associate Editor of Human Brain Mapping, Associate Editor of Radiology and Associate Editor of Neurological Sciences; received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Alexion, Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Genzyme, Merck‐Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries; and receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck‐Serono, Novartis, Roche, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Italian Ministry of Health, Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla and ARiSLA (Fondazione Italiana di Ricerca per la SLA). He received speaker honoraria from the following companies: Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi‐Genzyme and TEVA. M. Radaelli received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, Sanofi‐Genzyme, Novartis and Merck Serono and funding for travel to scientific meetings from Biogen Idec, Sanofi‐Genzyme, Novartis, Merck Serono, Teva and Roche. P. Immovilli reports personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Biogen, personal fees from Merck, outside the submitted work. M. Capobianco reports personal fees and non‐financial support from Biogen, personal fees and non‐financial support from Merck Serono, personal fees and non‐financial support from Roche, personal fees and non‐financial support from Novartis, personal fees and non‐financial support from Sanofi, personal fees from Almirall, outside the submitted work. N. De Rossi received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, Genzyme, Novartis, Sanofi‐Aventis; received funding for participation in advisory boards to Novartis, Biogen and Genzyme‐Sanofi and for travel to scientific meetings from Biogen Idec, Teva, Sanofi‐Genzyme, Roche, Almirall and Novartis. P. Confalonieri has received honoraria for speaking or consultation fees from Novartis and Biogen, has received funding for travel to attend scientific events or speaker honoraria from Merck Serono, Biogen Idec, Teva and Roche. He has also received institutional research support from Merk Serono, Novartis and Roche. He is also principal investigator in clinical trials for Biogen, Merck Serono, Roche. M. Inglese received research grants from NIH, DOD, NMSS, FISM and Teva Neuroscience; received fees for participating in advisory boards from Roche, Biogen, Merck and Genzyme. M. Trojano reports grants and personal fees from Biogen, grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Roche, grants and personal fees from Merck, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from TEVA, outside the submitted work. V. Brescia Morra has received funding for travel, speaker honoraria, advisory board and research support from Merck Serono, Novartis, Biogen Idec, TEVA, Genzyme, Roche, Bayer, Almirall. G. Comi reports personal fees from Novartis, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Teva Italia Srl, Sanofi Genzyme, Genzyme Corporation, Genzyme Europe, Merck KGaA, Merck Serono SpA, Celgene Group, Biogen Idec, Biogen Italia Srl, F. Hoffman‐La Roche, Roche SpA, Almirall SpA, Forward Pharma, Medday, Excemed, outside the submitted work. F. Patti reports grants from Biogen, grants from Merck, grants from FISM, grants from Onlus association, grants from University of Catania, personal fees from Almirall, personal fees from Bayer, personal fees from Biogen, personal fees from Merck, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from TEVA, outside the submitted work. M. Salvetti reports grants and personal fees from Biogen, grants and personal fees from Merck, grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Roche, grants and personal fees from Sanofi, grants and personal fees from Teva, grants from Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, grants from Sapienza University of Rome, outside the submitted work. M.P. Sormani reports grants from Roche, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Biogen, Merck, Roche, Sanofi, Novartis, Medday, Geneuro, Celgene, Mylan outside the submitted work. M. Ponzano, I. Schiavetti, L. Carmisciano, C. Cordioli, G. Brichetto, E. Cocco, C. Scandellari, P. Cavalla, I. Pesci, A. Zito, G.A. Marfia, P. Perini, E. Pisoni, G. Tedeschi, M.A. Battaglia have nothing to disclose.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PM2.5 2016–2018 average concentrations in Italy [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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