TY - JOUR T1 - Impact of chronic air pollution exposure on non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: Hit the road? JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - 402 AU - Pieter Goeminne AU - Esmée Bijnens AU - Ben Nemery AU - Tim Nawrot AU - Lieven Dupont Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/402.abstract N2 - Introduction: Both acute and chronic air pollution exposure have been shown to influence cystic fibrosis bronchiectatic disease. (1,2) Air pollution in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) has not been studied before. We studied the association between residential distance to major road and death in a cohort of patients with NCFB.Methods: We included 189 patients between 18 and 65 years who had visited the outpatient clinic at the University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium, between June 2006 and October 2012. All patients had chronic productive cough and a chest CT scan confirming NCFB. We calculated the hazard ratios (HR) for mortality in relation to proximity of the home to major roads, adjusting for relevant covariables.Results: Of the 189 patients (45% male, 49 years ± 13), 20 died during the study period. Patients with a history of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in their sputum had a 3.6 fold increased risk of dying during follow-up (p=0.01). Never smokers showed a reduced risk (HR=0.30; p=0.03) and chronic macrolide therapy appeared protective (HR=0.34; p=0.07). Independently from gender, age, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sputum and macrolide therapy, residential proximity to a major road was associated with the risk of mortality (HR=0.40; p=0.01; for a tenfold increase in distance to a major road).Conclusion: Living close to a major road is associated with a higher risk of dying in patients with NCFB. A history of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sputum has a negative effect on mortality while patients who never smoked and patients receiving chronic macrolide therapy have a lower mortality risk.1. Goss et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 20042. Goeminne et al., Chest 2012, in press. ER -