RISK FACTORS OF IDIOPATHIC PULMOANRY FIBROSIS IN PAKISTANI POPULATION: A MATCHED CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

TOPIC: Diffuse Lung Disease TYPE: Original Investigations PURPOSE: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is considered a disease of unknown etiology with varying incidence among populations and geographies. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of IPF among Pakistani population. METHODS: A gender and age matched case-control study was conducted. Adult cases of IPF, were defined on criteria by Indian Chest Registry, and miscellany of diagnosis other than IPF as controls, were recruited from pulmonology departments of two large tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Conditional logistic regression analysis was done to assess the risk factors of IPF adjusting for socio-economic, environmental and behavioral factors and comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 154 cases and 305 controls were included in the study. Ethnicity, type of house, number of persons per room were significantly associated with IPF in unadjusted analysis. In mutually adjusted variable model, Punjabi [matched odds ratio (mOR) (95% confidence interval) 5.67 (1.67 – 19.29)], Pakhtoon [mOR 4.30 (1.18 – 15.74)], Urdu-speaking [mOR 5.51 (1.71 – 17.81)], and other ethnicities [mOR 4.93 (1.47 – 16.50)] were at higher risk of IPF compared to Sindhi ethnicity. Risk was significantly increased with number of persons in the household per room [mOR 1.18 (1.06 – 1.31)]. No significant association was observed with other variables such as smoking, occupation, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. CONCLUSIONS: Except for ethnicity and number of persons in household per room several factors identified in previous studies were not significant predictors of IPF among Pakistani population. Larger studies with in-depth assessments of environmental and occupational risk factors along with genetics are required to establish epidemiological profile of IPF in local population. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Except for ethnicity and number of persons in household per room several factors identified in previous studies were not significant predictors of IPF among Pakistani population. Larger studies with in-depth assessments of environmental and occupational risk factors along with genetics are required to establish epidemiological profile of IPF in local population. DISCLOSURES: no disclosure on file for Naseem Ahmed; No relevant relationships by Zafar Fatmi, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Maryam Hassan, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Unaib Rabbani, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Nadeem Rizvi, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Akbar Shoukat, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Ali Zubairi, source=Web Response