skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Do solar cycles influence giant cell arteritis and rheumatoid arthritis incidence?

Journal Article · · BMJ Open
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [5];  [5]
  1. Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD (United States)
  2. National Inst. of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD (United States)
  3. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States).
  4. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States). Dept. of Health Sciences Research; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States). Dept. of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
  5. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States). Dept. of Health Sciences Research; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States). Dept. of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
+ Show Author Affiliations

Our objective was to examine the influence of solar cycle and geomagnetic effects on the incidence of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: We used data from patients with GCA (1950-2004) and RA (1955-2007) obtained from population-based cohorts. Yearly trends in age-adjusted and sex-adjusted incidence were correlated with the F10.7 index (solar radiation at 10.7 cm wavelength, a proxy for the solar extreme ultraviolet radiation) and AL index (a proxy for the westward auroral electrojet and a measure of geomagnetic activity). Fourier analysis was performed on AL, F10.7, and GCA and RA incidence rates. Results: The correlation of GCA incidence with AL is highly significant: GCA incidence peaks 0-1 year after the AL reaches its minimum (ie, auroral electrojet reaches a maximum). The correlation of RA incidence with AL is also highly significant. RA incidence rates are lowest 5-7 years after AL reaches maximum. AL, GCA and RA incidence power spectra are similar: they have a main peak (periodicity) at about 10 years and a minor peak at 4-5 years. However, the RA incidence power spectrum main peak is broader (8-11 years), which partly explains the lower correlation between RA onset and AL. The auroral electrojets may be linked to the decline of RA incidence more strongly than the onset of RA. The incidences of RA and GCA are aligned in geomagnetic latitude. Conclusions: AL and the incidences of GCA and RA all have a major periodicity of about 10 years and a secondary periodicity at 4-5 years. Geomagnetic activity may explain the temporal and spatial variations, including east-west skewness in geographic coordinates, in GCA and RA incidence, although the mechanism is unknown. Lastly, the link with solar, geospace and atmospheric parameters need to be investigated. These novel findings warrant examination in other populations and with other autoimmune diseases.

Research Organization:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-09CH11466; NIAMS R01 AR046849; NIA R01 AG034676; ATM-0802715; AGS-1058456; ATM09002730; AGS1203299; NNX13AE12G; NNH09AM53I; NN09AK63I; NNH11AR07I
OSTI ID:
1260817
Journal Information:
BMJ Open, Vol. 5, Issue 5; ISSN 2044-6055
Publisher:
BMJ PublishingCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (44)

Extended study of extreme geoelectric field event scenarios for geomagnetically induced current applications: EXTREME GEOELECTRIC FIELD SCENARIO journal March 2013
The complex-image method for calculating the magnetic and electric fields produced at the surface of the Earth by the auroral electrojet journal February 2002
Auroral particle precipitation characterized by the substorm cycle journal March 2013
Geomagnetic disturbances are associated with reduced nocturnal excretion of a melatonin metabolite in humans journal May 1999
Epidemiology of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica journal October 2009
The epidemiology of biopsy-positive giant cell arteritis: special reference to cyclic fluctuations journal December 1999
Atmospheric data over a solar cycle: no connection between galactic cosmic rays and new particle formation journal January 2010
Factors affecting quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in South Korea: a cross-sectional study journal October 2021
Exposure to ultraviolet-B and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis among women in the Nurses’ Health Study journal February 2013
Geographic Variation in Rheumatoid Arthritis Incidence Among Women in the United States journal August 2008
Association between Residences in U.S. Northern Latitudes and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Spatial Analysis of the Nurses’ Health Study journal July 2010
Variation of cosmic ray flux and global cloud coverage—a missing link in solar-climate relationships journal July 1997
Pi2 pulsations driven by ballooning instability journal March 2012
Circadian organization of the immune response: A role for melatonin journal October 2004
Seasonal onset of systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis journal October 1996
Pharmacological action of melatonin in shock, inflammation and ischemia/reperfusion injury journal August 2001
A cosmic ray-climate link and cloud observations journal January 2012
Intracellular free radical production in synovial T lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis journal January 2005
Solar and geomagnetic activity, extremely low frequency magnetic and electric fields and human health at the Earth’s surface journal August 2006
Reappraisal of the epidemiology of giant cell arteritis in Olmsted County, Minnesota, over a fifty-year period journal April 2004
The Geo-epidemiology of Temporal (Giant Cell) Arteritis journal February 2008
Trends in incidence and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis in Rochester, Minnesota, over a forty-year period journal March 2002
Is the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis rising?: Results from Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1955-2007 journal February 2010
Environmental and Gene-Environment Interactions and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis journal May 2012
Autoimmunity in Rheumatoid Arthritis book January 2013
Kp forecast models: Kp FORECAST MODELS journal April 2005
A solar cycle dependence of nonlinearity in magnetospheric activity: SOLAR CYCLE DEPENDENCE journal April 2005
Mobile and Wireless Communication: Space Weather Threats, Forecasts, and Risk Management journal September 2012
On the magnetic field fluctuations during magnetospheric tail current disruption: A statistical approach journal January 2005
Auroral electrojets during deep solar minimum at the end of solar cycle 23 journal April 2011
Steady magnetospheric convection and stream interfaces: Relationship over a solar cycle: SMC-SI RELATIONSHIP OVER A SOLAR CYCLE journal January 2011
Auroral electrojet activity index AE and its universal time variations journal February 1966
Increase in age at onset of giant cell arteritis: a population-based study journal October 2009
Comparing Solar Minimum 23/24 with Historical Solar Wind Records at 1 AU journal April 2011
The solar cycle variation in ultraviolet irradiance journal January 2001
A new magnetic coordinate system for conjugate studies at high latitudes journal January 1989
The environment, geo-epidemiology, and autoimmune disease: Rheumatoid arthritis journal August 2010
Giant cell arteritis in Iceland. journal July 1994
Semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity journal January 1973
Positive relationship between melatonin receptor type 1B polymorphism and rheumatoid factor in rheumatoid arthritis patients in the Korean population journal April 2005
Coupling of the solar wind to temporal fluctuations in ground magnetic fields journal October 2002
Studies of space weather effects on the finnish natural gas pipeline and on the finnish high-voltage power system journal January 2003
Surface warming by the solar cycle as revealed by the composite mean difference projection journal January 2007
External versus internal triggering of substorms: An information-theoretical approach journal August 2014

Cited By (1)

Geo-epidemiology of temporal artery biopsy-positive giant cell arteritis in Australia and New Zealand: is there a seasonal influence? journal August 2017

Similar Records

High time resolution study of interplanetary parameter correlations with AE
Journal Article · Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) · OSTI ID:1260817
+1 more
A STUDY OF MAGNETIC STORMS AND AURORAS. Scientific Report NO. 7
Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1961 · OSTI ID:1260817
Evaluation of three predictors of geomagnetic activity
Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) · OSTI ID:1260817

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES