Reynolds, C.J. orcid.org/0000-0002-7415-258X, Sisodia, R., Barber, C. et al. (6 more authors) (2023) What role for asbestos in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Findings from the IPF job exposures case–control study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 80 (2). pp. 97-103. ISSN 1351-0711
Abstract
Background Asbestos has been hypothesised as the cause of the recent global increase in the incidence of ‘idiopathic’ pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Establishing this has important diagnostic and therapeutic implications. The association between occupational asbestos exposure and IPF, and interaction with a common (minor allele frequency of 9% in European populations) genetic variant associated with IPF, MUC5B rs35705950, is unknown.
Methods Multicentre, incident case–control study. Cases (n=494) were men diagnosed with IPF at 21 UK hospitals. Controls (n=466) were age-matched men who attended a hospital clinic in the same period. Asbestos exposure was assessed at interview using a validated job exposure matrix and a source-receptor model. The primary outcome was the association between asbestos exposure and IPF, estimated using logistic regression adjusted for age, smoking and centre. Interaction with MUC5B rs35705950 was investigated using a genetic dominant model.
Results 327 (66%) cases and 293 (63%) controls ever had a high or medium asbestos exposure risk job; 8% of both cases and controls had cumulative exposure estimates ≥25 fibre ml⁻¹ years. Occupational asbestos exposure was not associated with IPF, adjusted OR 1.1 (95% CI 0.8 to 1.4; p=0.6) and there was no gene–environment interaction (p=0.3). Ever smoking was associated with IPF, OR 1.4 (95% CI 1 to 1.9; p=0.04) and interacted with occupational asbestos exposure, OR 1.9 (95% CI 1 to 3.6; p=0.04). In a further non-specified analysis, when stratifying for genotype there was significant interaction between smoking and work in an exposed job (p<0.01) for carriers of the minor allele of MUC5B rs35705950.
Conclusion Occupational asbestos exposure alone, or through interaction with MUC5B rs35705950 genotype, was not associated with IPF. Exposure to asbestos and smoking interact to increase IPF risk in carriers of a common genetic variant, the minor allele of MUC5B rs35705950.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2023 12:27 |
Last Modified: | 23 Jan 2023 12:27 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2022-108404 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | BMJ |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1136/oemed-2022-108404 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:195549 |