Influence of particulate matter and meteorological conditions on multiple sclerosis relapse: a preliminary study in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, which in some cases may be characterized by recurrent relapses of inflammation that cause mild to severe neurological disability. Some studies around the world have associated the increase of systemic inflammatory responses and neuro-inflammation of patients with exposure to high levels of particulate matter (PM10) and certain conditions of temperature and humidity. Materials and methods: The objective of this study was to verify the influence of the concentration of PM10 and meteorological variables (air temperature and relative humidity) on the number of hospitalizations forMS in the city of São Paulo. Data from 2008 to 2016, which passed through descriptive statistics and inferences, were used as multiple linear regression models. Results: The models obtained indicated a positive relation (p < 0.01) in the number of hospitalizations with the increase of PM10and relative humidity, showing that 31.23% of hospital admissions can be explained by these variables. Conclusion: These results are important, since there are no other studies from Brazil that correlate meteorological and air quality variables with MS.Descriptors: Air Pollution; Multiple Sclerosis; Linear Models.