The impact of air pollution on skin and related disorders: A comprehensive review
Ruhollah Abolhasani
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorFarnaz Araghi
Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorMohammadreza Tabary
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorArmin Aryannejad
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorBaharnaz Mashinchi
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Reza M. Robati
Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Department of Dermatology, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Correspondence
Reza M. Robati, Department of Dermatology, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorRuhollah Abolhasani
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorFarnaz Araghi
Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorMohammadreza Tabary
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorArmin Aryannejad
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorBaharnaz Mashinchi
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Reza M. Robati
Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Department of Dermatology, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Correspondence
Reza M. Robati, Department of Dermatology, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorRuhollah Abolhasani and Farnaz Araghi contributed equally and are considered as first co-authors.
Abstract
As the largest organ in the body, human skin is constantly exposed to harmful compounds existing in the surrounding environment as the first-line barrier. Studies have indicated that exposure to high concentrations of many environmental factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, outdoor air pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), heavy metals, gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxides (NOx), sulfur oxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and indoor air pollutants (solid fuels consumption), might interrupt the skin's normal barrier function. Besides, the intensity of the pollutants and the length of exposure might be a contributing factor. Air pollutants are believed to induce or exacerbate a range of skin conditions, such as aging, inflammatory diseases (atopic dermatitis, cellulitis, and psoriasis), acne, hair loss, and even skin cancers (mainly melanoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma) through various mechanisms. The interaction between pollutants and the skin might differ based on each agent's particular characteristics. Also, damaging the skin barrier seems to be closely related to the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), induction of oxidative stress, activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and inflammatory cytokines. This article reviews recent studies on the correlation between air pollutants and skin diseases, along with related mechanisms.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
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