At the Union World Conference on Lung Health in Bali, held from November 12-16, Dr. Erjia Ge presented her research titled “Long-term Effects of Coarse Particulate Matter and Modifications by Temperature and Relative Humidity on All-cause Mortality in a Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Cohort”. This study focused on a Chinese cohort of 3,469 MDR-TB patients, with an average follow up of 2,567 days per patient. It assessed the association between exposure to coarse PM (i.e., PM2.5-10) and mortality among individuals diagnosed with MDR-TB, while also investigating the modifying effects of temperature and humidity.

The findings revealed that chronic exposure to coarse particulate matter can significant harm MDR-TB patients, with modifying effects of temperature and humidity varying across factors like sex, age, and treatment history. The study emphasized the importance of immediate surveillance of coarse PM – similar to fine PM – to mitigate the progression of MDR-TB severity due to co-exposure.

This is a collaborative study involved experts from Canada, the U.S., and China across multiple universities and local CDCs. It was supported by funding from several sources, including CIHR, NIH, and the NSFC China.