Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40181317›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Natural environmental factors at birth on risk for rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of season, temperature, latitude, and sunlight exposure.

Liang Luo, Jia Yi Hee, Sitian Zang, Zhike Liu, Kun Tang, Xuewu Zhang, Chun Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. [Mechanism of 4-methylcatechol in inhibiting fibroblast-like synoviocyte migration and suppressing inflammatory responses in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Liang LuoDepartment of Chinese Medicine, The People's Hospital of Yubei District of Chongqing, No. 23, North Central Park Road, Yubei District, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0231-8798
Jia Yi HeeVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Zhongguancun North Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5863-4458
Sitian ZangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-1182-2020
Zhike LiuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, No. 38 Xue Yuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3232-8196
Kun TangVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Zhongguancun North Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China. tangk@tsinghua.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5444-186X
Xuewu ZhangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China. xuewulore@163.com.
Chun LiDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China. 13811190098@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7981-7184

Funding

Beijing Natural Science Foundation 7232184Beijing Natural Science Foundation No.7192211Chongqing Science and Health Joint Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Project 2024ZYQN002Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation 2020B1515130005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnvironmental factors contribute to approximately 41% of the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previous studies have focused on anthropogenic environmental factors, while much less attention has been given to natural environmental factors. Our study explored the potential influence of natural environmental factors at birth on the risk of RA.

methodsThis large retrospective study utilized data from the China Kadoorie Biobank. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was employed to explore nonlinear relationships between natural environmental factors and the risk of RA. Additionally, a multivariable Cox regression model, adjusted for confounding factors, was used to examine correlations between season of birth, geographic, climate, and the risk of RA.

resultsA total of 512,715 participants were included in this study, of which 2889 (0.56%) were diagnosed with RA. The RCS analysis revealed that the monthly average temperature at birth (p < 0.001), the latitude (p = 0.027) of the birthplace, and the sunshine rate (p < 0.001) exhibited a nonlinear relationship with the risk of RA. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that participants born in Spring and Summer (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.23) had an increased risk of RA compared to those born in Autumn and Winter. Additionally, participants born at latitudes ≤ 24°N (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.32-1.68), with sunshine rate ≤ 28% (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.75-2.29) or ≥ 60% (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.38) had an increased risk of RA. Being born in regions with a monthly average temperature ≥ 27 °C (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.72-0.95) was associated with a decreased risk of RA.

conclusionBeing born in Spring and Summer, as well as early-life exposure to low-latitude regions and extreme sunlight environments increases the risk of RA. Our study revealed significant associations between the risk of RA and natural environmental factors at birth, emphasizing the impact of the early-life environment on the onset of RA.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidEnvironmental ExposureSeasonsSunlightTemperatureAdultChinaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsEnvironmentExposureRheumatoid arthritisRisk factor

Identifiers

PMID40181317
PMCPMC11970014

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.