{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T16:23:58Z","timestamp":1790267038905,"version":"4.1.0"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013294","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,17]],"date-time":"2025-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752710400000}}],"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]],"date-time":"2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751846400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec008\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Podoconiosis is a non-infectious neglected tropical disease that causes progressive swelling of the lower limbs in an estimated 4 million people globally. Podoconiosis has been associated with prolonged exposure to certain soils, however no specific causative component has been identified. We conducted a systematic review of articles to investigate links between podoconiosis and mineral, geochemical and climate factors affecting soil genesis (pedogenesis).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec009\">\n<jats:title>Methodology\/principal findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A systematic search was conducted across five electronic databases: Embase, Global Health, Medline, GeoRef and Web of Science. Searches were from database inception to January 2024. Primary quantitative research from any region was included, qualitative studies and those not in English were excluded. The AXIS tool was used to assess study quality and risk of bias. Twenty-seven studies were included and narrative synthesis was used to interpret data from tissue samples, soil samples, and remote sensed bedrock and pedogenic factors. Nine studies found a correlation between podoconiosis occurrence and regions with underlying alkalic volcanic bedrock, and six linked pedogenic factors (altitude and rainfall) with disease occurrence. Several studies linked specific soil mineralogy and geochemistry with endemic regions, including an abundance of phyllosilicate clay minerals, quartz, and trace elements, notably iron, beryllium and zirconium.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec010\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This systematic review is the first to be conducted on the literature linking pedogenic factors with podoconiosis globally. Study quality was low for some of the earlier (1970s) studies. Several soil mineralogical and geological variables were linked with podoconiosis prevalence, particularly kaolinite, smectite, micas, quartz, iron oxides and trace elements. However, it remains unclear whether these are covariates or direct contributors to the pathogenesis of the disease and what the role of other peculiarities of soils (complex mineral-organic or material-climate combined factors) might be. Studies on the enrichment of minerals and elements during pedogenesis should be prioritised in future research.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec011\">\n<jats:title>Protocol registration<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews registration number CRD42024499266.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013294","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]],"date-time":"2025-07-07T14:00:32Z","timestamp":1751896832000},"page":"e0013294","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Associations between podoconiosis and pedogenic factors globally \u2013 A systematic 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bare feet in the soil: Podoconiosis, a neglected cause of tropical lymphoedema","volume":"237","author":"D Chandler","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dermatology"},{"issue":"9565","key":"pntd.0013294.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"888","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)60425-5","article-title":"Podoconiosis: the most neglected tropical disease?","volume":"369","author":"G Davey","year":"2007","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"issue":"12","key":"pntd.0013294.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0007925","article-title":"Mapping the global distribution of podoconiosis: applying an evidence consensus approach","volume":"13","author":"K Deribe","year":"2019","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"key":"pntd.0013294.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.12688\/wellcomeopenres.12483.2","article-title":"Estimating the number of cases of podoconiosis in Ethiopia using geostatistical methods","volume":"2","author":"K Deribe","year":"2017","journal-title":"Wellcome Open Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"pntd.0013294.ref005","first-page":"168","article-title":"Podoconiosis, non-filarial elephantiasis, and lymphology","volume":"43","author":"G Davey","year":"2010","journal-title":"Lymphology"},{"issue":"13","key":"pntd.0013294.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1200","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1108448","article-title":"HLA class II locus and susceptibility to podoconiosis","volume":"366","author":"F Tekola Ayele","year":"2012","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0013294.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3285","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-81836-x","article-title":"Replication of HLA class II locus association with susceptibility to podoconiosis in genetically diverse Ethiopian ethnic groups","volume":"11","author":"T Gebre Selassie","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci 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Results from the EnDPoINT Pilot Cohort Study","volume":"107","author":"R Dellar","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"issue":"2","key":"pntd.0013294.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1007\/s10653-018-0158-0","article-title":"Regional bedrock geochemistry associated with podoconiosis evaluated by multivariate analysis","volume":"41","author":"JN Cooper","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ Geochem Health"},{"issue":"7","key":"pntd.0013294.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0068330","article-title":"Spatial distribution of podoconiosis in relation to environmental factors in Ethiopia: a historical review","volume":"8","author":"K Deribe","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"3","key":"pntd.0013294.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2018-000730","article-title":"Predicted distribution and burden of podoconiosis in Cameroon","volume":"3","author":"K 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Role of beryllium and zirconium","volume":"45","author":"D Frommel","year":"1993","journal-title":"Trop Geogr Med"},{"issue":"12","key":"pntd.0013294.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"937","DOI":"10.1093\/trstmh\/traa138","article-title":"Linking soils and human health: geospatial analysis of ground-sampled soil data in relation to community-level podoconiosis data in North West Cameroon","volume":"114","author":"H Gislam","year":"2020","journal-title":"Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg"},{"issue":"3","key":"pntd.0013294.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"450","DOI":"10.1016\/0035-9203(72)90276-3","article-title":"Non-filarial elephantiasis in Ethiopia. Analytical study of inorganic material in lymph nodes","volume":"66","author":"CJ Heather","year":"1972","journal-title":"Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg"},{"issue":"2","key":"pntd.0013294.ref035","first-page":"87","article-title":"The linkage between geological setting and human health in Ethiopia: a preliminary geo-environmental health model","volume":"32","author":"S Kebede","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ethiop J Sci"},{"issue":"6","key":"pntd.0013294.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1490","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.16-0932","article-title":"Risk factors for podoconiosis: Kamwenge District, Western Uganda, September 2015","volume":"96","author":"C Kihembo","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"issue":"8","key":"pntd.0013294.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0005864","article-title":"Soil iron and aluminium concentrations and feet hygiene as possible predictors of Podoconiosis occurrence in Kenya","volume":"11","author":"J Muli","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"key":"pntd.0013294.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5551637","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/5551637","article-title":"Assessment of etiology of elephantiasis and its associated risk factors in Jeldu District, West Shoa, Ethiopia","volume":"2021","author":"A Negasa","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Trop Med"},{"key":"pntd.0013294.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1016\/S0001-706X(00)00185-6","article-title":"Non-filarial elephantiasis in the Mt. 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