Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41062170›Full record

SynthesisEuropean respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society2025

Impact of air pollution on COVID-19 severity: a systematic review of underlying biological mechanisms.

Laura Houweling, Iris Rots, Lizan D Bloemsma, Robert van Vorstenbosch, Simone Del Motto, Roel C H Vermeulen, Anke H Maitland-Van der Zee, Korneliusz Golebski, George S Downward

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Laura HouwelingDepartment of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Iris RotsDepartment of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands irisrots@hotmail.com.
Lizan D BloemsmaDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Robert van VorstenboschDepartment of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Simone Del MottoDepartment of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Roel C H VermeulenDepartment of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Anke H Maitland-Van der ZeeDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Korneliusz GolebskiDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
George S DownwardDepartment of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOur recent systematic review highlighted key associations between ambient air pollution (AAP) exposure and COVID-19 severity. This systematic review aims to summarise toxicological studies on the biological mechanisms underlying these associations.

methodsOn 17 July 2025, PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for

resultsA total of 18 studies were included in this review. Findings consistently indicated that AAP exposure can worsen COVID-19 severity through two key mechanisms 1) increased expression of viral entry factors (

conclusionThese findings highlight the impact of AAP exposure on COVID-19 health outcomes on the molecular level. The findings of this review illustrate the urgent need for air quality improvements to help shape public health strategies to reduce and prevent future health impacts caused by AAP exposure.

Indexed as

Air PollutantsAir PollutionCOVID-19HumansParticulate MatterSARS-CoV-2Severity of Illness IndexAir PollutantsParticulate Matter

Identifiers

PMID41062170
PMCPMC12505150

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.