Abstract
Air pollution is associated with many adverse health outcomes, especially regarding the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Recently, the attention of researchers has been attracted to the influence of air pollution on renal function; therefore, more and more data are emerging on the effects of air pollution on kidney diseases. Kidney diseases, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD), are a significant health problem around the world. It is estimated that CKD affects 9.1% of the world's population, and its prevalence is constantly increasing. CKD is the direct cause of 1.2 million deaths annually. Available experimental models show the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and kidney function. Geographical differences may have an impact on the effect of air pollution on the prevalence of kidney disease. In the majority of studies, long-term exposure to particulate matter-PM(2.5) is associated with an increased risk of CKD progression to kidney replacement therapy. There is far less evidence on the effect of short-term exposure to air pollution on renal function. Data on the associations between acute kidney injury/acute kidney disease and cardio-kidney metabolic syndrome are even more limited than those on chronic kidney disease. In a mouse model of acute kidney injury, exposure to PM(2.5) increased susceptibility to chronic kidney disease. In human studies, air pollution was associated with increased risk for first hospital admission for acute kidney injury and mortality due to acute kidney injury. In this review, we would like to summarize the state of knowledge, assessing the influence of air pollution on kidney function. We tried to assess critical associations between air pollution and kidney disease, as well as the translation of these findings in clinical practice. In addition, we aimed to tie green nephrology to air pollution and kidney disease and stressed the paramount role of prevention of kidney disease as the most important aim.