Interaction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and high-fasting plasma glucose on lung function decline in coke oven workers: a cross-lagged panel analysis

Individuals with abnormal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) may be more susceptible to lung diseases associated with environmental pollutants. A cross-sectional survey of 629 workers in 2017 and a panel study of 304 workers from 2014 to 2019 were performed in China. The results showed that elevated total hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (ΣOH-PAH) concentration was associated with lower the percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) among high-FPG workers (β for the cross-sectional analysis: -1.78%, 95%CI: -2.92%, -0.64%; β for the panel study: -1.10%, 95%CI: -2.19%, -0.02%). The absolute value of the cross-lagged path coefficient from FPG to FVC% (β2 = -0.096) was significantly greater than that from FVC% to FPG (β1 = 0.037). Our results suggest that FPG abnormalities may precede the lung function decline induced by PAH exposure and that high-FPG and high ΣOH-PAH levels have an interactive effect on lung function decline.