Work

Short-term sulfur dioxide exposure, rs2516049, and lung function phenotypes in childhood asthma

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Children with asthma may be particularly affected by short-term ambient air pollution because transient exposure can worsen airway inflammation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and airflow limitation. Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) is an airway irritant, but evidence linking short-term SO 2 exposure with pulmonary-function phenotypes in children with asthma remains limited. Whether these associations vary according to rs2516049 genotype is also unclear. We aimed to investigate associations between short-term ambient SO 2 exposure and lung-function phenotypes in children with asthma, with exploratory analyses of rs2516049 genotype and joint SO 2 –genotype categories. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of 199 children with physician-diagnosed asthma who underwent pulmonary-function testing in Nanjing, China, in 2023. Citywide daily ambient SO 2 concentrations were linked to each participant according to the pulmonary-function testing date. The primary short-term exposure metric was SO 2 ma0-1, defined as the average SO 2 concentration across the day of lung-function assessment and the preceding day. Outcomes included FVC, FEV 1 , FEV 1 /FVC, MEF50, MEF25, and FEV 1 reversibility. Multivariable linear regression models were fitted for each continuous lung-function phenotype, with effect estimates reported as standardized beta coefficients. Sensitivity models additionally adjusted for rs2516049 genotype, SO 2 ma0-1, or allergen-positive count as appropriate. Two-sided P values were used to evaluate statistical significance. Joint SO 2 –rs2516049 groups were also assessed. In the main model, each interquartile-range increase in SO 2 ma0–1 was associated with lower FEV 1 /FVC (standardized adjusted β , − 0.242; 95% CI, − 0.439 to − 0.045), MEF50 ( β , − 0.183; 95% CI, − 0.300 to − 0.065), and MEF25 ( β , − 0.223; 95% CI, − 0.375 to − 0.072). The estimates for FVC, FEV 1 , and FEV 1 reversibility were less precise. rs2516049 C-carrier status was associated with lower FEV 1 /FVC ( β , − 0.428; 95% CI, − 0.639 to − 0.217) and MEF25 ( β , − 0.228; 95% CI, − 0.440 to − 0.016). Compared with the lower-SO 2 plus T/T group, the higher-SO₂ plus C-carrier group showed lower FEV 1 /FVC ( β , − 0.861; 95% CI, − 1.524 to − 0.199), MEF50 ( β , − 0.408; 95% CI, − 0.788 to − 0.028), and MEF25 ( β , − 0.419; 95% CI, − 0.820 to − 0.018). Short-term SO 2 exposure was associated with less favorable lung-function phenotypes in children with asthma. These findings underscore the importance of reducing ambient SO 2 exposure to protect respiratory health, while the rs2516049 and joint SO 2 –genotype findings provide a basis for further investigating heterogeneity in pulmonary responses. Not applicable

Source: BMC Pulmonary Medicine

DOI: 10.1186/s12890-026-04854-3

Authors: Li Wei, Yi Zhang, Fengxia Sun, Wei Pan, Lilin Xiong, Xing Gong

Institutions: Nanjing Municipal Center for Disease Control And Prevention, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Air Quality and Health Impacts

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,090