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Panis C, Lemos B. Pesticide exposure and increased breast cancer risk in women population studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:172988. [PMID: 38710391 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Pesticide exposure is emerging as a risk factor for various human diseases. Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease with known genetic and non-genetic risk factors. Most BC cases are attibutable to non-genetic risk factors, with a history of adverse environmental exposures playing a significant role. Pesticide exposure can occur at higher levels in female populations participating in rural activities such as spraying of pesticides in the field, unprotected handling of pesticides at home, and washing of contaminated clothes. Exposure can also be significant in the drinking water of certain populations. Here, we reviewed the literature on women's exposure to pesticides and the risk of BC. We summarize the main links between pesticide exposure and BC and discuss the role of dose and exposure context, as well as potential mechanisms of toxicity. Overall, reports reviewed here have documented stronger associations between higher levels of exposure and BC risk, including documenting direct and acute pesticide exposure in certain female populations. However, discrepancies among studies regarding dose and mode of exposure may result in misunderstandings about the risks posed by pesticide exposure. Plausible mechanisms linking pesticides to breast cancer risk include their impacts as endocrine disruptors, as well as their roles as genotoxic agents, and modulators of the epigenome. Besides establishing links between pesticide exposure and breast cancer, the literature also highlights the critical need to understand the routes and doses of women's exposure to pesticides and the specific associations and mechanisms that are determinants of disease etiology and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Panis
- R Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States; Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of Western Paraná, UNIOESTE, Francisco Beltrão, Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Bernardo Lemos
- R Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States; Coit Center for Longevity and Neurotherapeutics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.
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Wang Z, Kwan ML, Haque R, Pratt R, Lee VS, Roh JM, Ergas IJ, Cannavale KL, Loo RK, Aaronson DS, Quesenberry CP, Ambrosone CB, Kushi LH, Tang L. Environmental and occupational exposures and prognosis in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the Be-Well Study. Am J Epidemiol 2024; 193:863-873. [PMID: 38055616 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwad236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is primarily diagnosed as non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), with high recurrence and progression rates. Environmental and occupational exposures to carcinogens are well-known risk factors for developing bladder cancer, yet their effects on prognosis remain unknown. In the Be-Well Study, a population-based prospective cohort study of 1472 Kaiser Permanente patients newly diagnosed with NMIBC in California from 2015 to 2019, we examined history of environmental and occupational exposures in relation to tumor stage and grade at initial diagnosis by multivariable logistic regression, and subsequent recurrence and progression by Cox proportional hazards regression. Exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens was significantly associated with increased risk of progression (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.04-3.09), specifically with increased progression to muscle-invasive disease (HR = 2.28; 95% CI, 1.16-4.50). Exposures to asbestos and arsenic were associated with increased odds of advanced stage at diagnosis (asbestos: odds ratio (OR) = 1.43 [95% CI, 1.11-1.84]; arsenic: OR = 1.27 [95% CI, 1.01-1.63]), and formaldehyde exposure was associated with increased risk of recurrence (HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.12-1.69). Our findings suggest that considering a patient's history of these exposures may benefit current risk stratification systems in better tailoring clinical care and improving prognosis among patients with NMIBC.
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Chen D, Parks CG, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Sandler DP. Pesticide use and inflammatory bowel disease in licensed pesticide applicators and spouses in the Agricultural Health Study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 249:118464. [PMID: 38354883 PMCID: PMC11065595 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pesticide exposure has been linked to some autoimmune diseases and colorectal cancer, possibly via alteration of gut microbiota or other mechanisms. While pesticides have been linked to gut dysbiosis and inflammation in animal models, few epidemiologic studies have examined pesticides in relation to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). OBJECTIVES We evaluated use of pesticides and incident IBD in 68,480 eligible pesticide applicators and spouses enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS Self-reported IBD cases were identified from follow-up questionnaires between enrollment (1993-1997) and 2022. We evaluated IBD incidence in relation to self-reported ever use of 50 pesticides among applicators and spouses. We also explored associations with intensity-weighted lifetime days (IWLD) of pesticide use among male applicators. Covariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox regression. RESULTS We identified 454 IBD cases, including 227 among male applicators. In analyses with applicators and spouses combined, associations were positive (HR > 1.2) for ever vs. never use of five organochlorine insecticides, three organophosphate insecticides, one fungicide, and five herbicides. HRs were highest for dieldrin (HR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.03, 2.44), toxaphene (HR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.17, 2.21), parathion (HR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.95), and terbufos (HR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.19, 1.96). We had limited power in many IWLD of pesticide use analyses and did not find clear evidence of exposure-response trends; however, we observed elevated HRs in all tertiles of IWLD use of terbufos compared to never use (T1 vs. never use HR = 1.52, 95%CI: 1.03, 2.24; T2 vs. never use HR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.04, 2.26; T3 vs. never use HR = 1.51, 95%CI: 1.03, 2.23). CONCLUSIONS Exposure to specific pesticides was associated with elevated hazards of IBD. These findings may have public health importance given the widespread use of pesticides and the limited number of known modifiable environmental risk factors for IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhe Chen
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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Chang VC, Ospina M, Xie S, Andreotti G, Parks CG, Liu D, Madrigal JM, Ward MH, Rothman N, Silverman DT, Sandler DP, Friesen MC, Beane Freeman LE, Calafat AM, Hofmann JN. Urinary biomonitoring of glyphosate exposure among male farmers and nonfarmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 187:108644. [PMID: 38636272 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Glyphosate is the most widely applied herbicide worldwide. Glyphosate biomonitoring data are limited for agricultural settings. We measured urinary glyphosate concentrations and assessed exposure determinants in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study. We selected four groups of BEEA participants based on self-reported pesticide exposure: recently exposed farmers with occupational glyphosate use in the last 7 days (n = 98), farmers with high lifetime glyphosate use (>80th percentile) but no use in the last 7 days (n = 70), farming controls with minimal lifetime use (n = 100), and nonfarming controls with no occupational pesticide exposures and no recent home/garden glyphosate use (n = 100). Glyphosate was quantified in first morning void urine using ion chromatography isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry. We estimated associations between urinary glyphosate concentrations and potential determinants using multivariable linear regression. Glyphosate was detected (≥0.2 µg/L) in urine of most farmers with recent (91 %) and high lifetime (93 %) use, as well as farming (88 %) and nonfarming (81 %) controls; geometric mean concentrations were 0.89, 0.59, 0.46, and 0.39 µg/L (0.79, 0.51, 0.42, and 0.37 µg/g creatinine), respectively. Compared with both control groups, urinary glyphosate concentrations were significantly elevated among recently exposed farmers (P < 0.0001), particularly those who used glyphosate in the previous day [vs. nonfarming controls; geometric mean ratio (GMR) = 5.46; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 3.75, 7.93]. Concentrations among high lifetime exposed farmers were also elevated (P < 0.01 vs. nonfarming controls). Among recently exposed farmers, glyphosate concentrations were higher among those not wearing gloves when applying glyphosate (GMR = 1.91; 95 % CI: 1.17, 3.11), not wearing long-sleeved shirts when mixing/loading glyphosate (GMR = 2.00; 95 % CI: 1.04, 3.86), applying glyphosate exclusively using broadcast/boom sprayers (vs. hand sprayer only; GMR = 1.70; 95 % CI: 1.00, 2.92), and applying glyphosate to crops (vs. non-crop; GMR = 1.72; 95 % CI: 1.04, 2.84). Both farmers and nonfarmers are exposed to glyphosate, with recency of occupational glyphosate use being the strongest determinant of urinary glyphosate concentrations. Continued biomonitoring of glyphosate in various settings is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky C Chang
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Maria Ospina
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shuai Xie
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Danping Liu
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jessica M Madrigal
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mary H Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Debra T Silverman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Melissa C Friesen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Chen D, Parks CG, Beane Freeman LE, Hofmann JN, Sinha R, Madrigal JM, Ward MH, Sandler DP. Ingested nitrate and nitrite and end-stage renal disease in licensed pesticide applicators and spouses in the Agricultural Health Study. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024; 34:322-332. [PMID: 38191926 PMCID: PMC11142909 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00625-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nitrate and nitrite ingestion has been linked to kidney cancer, possibly via the endogenous formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. These exposures might also contribute to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). OBJECTIVES We investigated associations of drinking water nitrate and dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes (total and by food type) with incident ESRD in the Agricultural Health Study. We also explored modifying effects of vitamin C and heme iron intake, which may affect endogenous nitrosation. METHODS We performed complete case analyses among private pesticide applicators and their spouses. We obtained water nitrate estimates for participants whose primary drinking water source at enrollment (1993-1997) was public water supplies (PWS) or private wells (N = 59,632). Average nitrate concentrations were computed from historical data for PWS users and predicted from random forest models for private well users. Analysis of dietary nitrate and nitrite was restricted to the 30,177 participants who completed the NCI Dietary History Questionnaire during follow-up (1999-2003). Incident ESRD through 2018 was ascertained through linkage with the U.S. Renal Data System. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95%CI for associations of tertiles (T) of exposure with ESRD overall and explored effects in strata of vitamin C and heme iron intake. RESULTS We identified 469 incident ESRD cases (206 for dietary analysis). Water nitrate and total dietary nitrate/nitrite were not associated with ESRD, but increased ESRD was associated with nitrate and nitrite from processed meats. We found apparent associations between nitrite and ESRD only among participants with vitamin C SIGNIFICANCE ESRD incidence was associated with dietary nitrate/nitrite from processed meat among all study participants and with total dietary nitrite among participants with lower vitamin C or higher heme iron intake. IMPACT STATEMENT There are few well-established environmental risk factors for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a worldwide public health challenge. Ingestion of nitrate and nitrite, which may lead to endogenous formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, has been linked to some cancers and chronic diseases. We investigated these exposures in relation to ESRD in an agricultural cohort. ESRD incidence was associated with dietary nitrate/nitrite from processed meat and with total dietary nitrite among subgroups with lower vitamin C or higher heme iron intake. This study provides preliminary evidence that points to dietary nitrite and possibly dietary nitrate intake as a potential contributor to ESRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhe Chen
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Rashmi Sinha
- Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jessica M Madrigal
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Mary H Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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Dalton KR, Lee M, Wang Z, Zhao S, Parks CG, Beane-Freeman LE, Motsinger-Reif AA, London SJ. Occupational farm work activities influence workers' indoor home microbiome. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 243:117819. [PMID: 38052359 PMCID: PMC10872285 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Farm work entails a heterogeneous mixture of exposures that vary considerably across farms and farmers. Farm work is associated with various health outcomes, both adverse and beneficial. One mechanism by which farming exposures can impact health is through the microbiome, including the indoor home environment microbiome. It is unknown how individual occupational exposures shape the microbial composition in workers' homes. OBJECTIVES We investigated associations between farm work activities, including specific tasks and pesticide use, and the indoor microbiome in the homes of 468 male farmers. METHODS Participants were licensed pesticide applicators, mostly farmers, enrolled in the Agricultural Lung Health Study from 2008 to 2011. Vacuumed dust from participants' bedrooms underwent whole-genome shotgun sequencing for indoor microbiome assessment. Using questionnaire data, we evaluated 6 farm work tasks (processing of either hay, silage, animal feed, fertilizer, or soy/grains, and cleaning grain bins) and 19 pesticide ingredients currently used in the past year, plus 7 banned persistent pesticide ingredients ever used. RESULTS All 6 work tasks were associated with increased microbial diversity levels, with a positive dose-response for the total number of tasks performed (P = 0.001). All tasks were associated with altered microbial compositions (weighted UniFrac P = 0.001) and with higher abundance of specific microbes, including soil-based commensal microbes such as Haloterrigena. Among the 19 pesticides, current use of glyphosate and past use of lindane were associated with increased microbial diversity (P = 0.02-0.04). Ten currently used pesticides and all 7 banned pesticides were associated with altered microbial composition (P = 0.001-0.04). Six pesticides were associated with differential abundance of certain microbes. DISCUSSION Different farm activities and exposures can uniquely impact the dust microbiome inside homes. Our work suggests that changes to the home microbiome could serve as one pathway for how occupational exposures impact the health of workers and their cohabitating family members, offering possible future intervention targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Dalton
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ziyue Wang
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Laura E Beane-Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alison A Motsinger-Reif
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie J London
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA.
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Remigio RV, Andreotti G, Sandler DP, Erickson PA, Koutros S, Albert PS, Hurwitz LM, Parks CG, Lubin JH, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE. An Updated Evaluation of Atrazine-Cancer Incidence Associations among Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:27010. [PMID: 38381478 PMCID: PMC10880817 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrazine is a common agricultural herbicide in the United States. Few epidemiologic studies have evaluated cancer risks. Previous analyses within the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) have found some evidence of associations with cancer at some sites. OBJECTIVE We updated exposure information, incident cases, and follow-up time to assess the associations between atrazine use and cancer at specific sites in the AHS. METHODS Information about lifetime pesticide use was reported at enrollment (1993-1997) and follow-up (1999-2005). Among 53,562 pesticide applicators in North Carolina and Iowa, we identified 8,915 incident cases through cancer registry linkages through 2014 (North Carolina)/2017 (Iowa). We used Poisson regression to evaluate the association between ever/never and intensity-weighted lifetime days of atrazine use and incident cancer risk controlling for several confounders. We also evaluated lagged exposures and age-stratified risk. RESULTS Approximately 71.2% of applicators reported ever using atrazine, which was associated with lung cancer [rate ratios ( RR ) = 1.24 ; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.46]. Aggressive prostate cancer risk was increased in the highest quartile (RR Q 4 = 1.20 ; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.52; p -trend = 0.19 ), particularly among those < 60 years old (RR Q 4 = 3.04 ; 95% CI: 1.61, 5.75; p -trend < 0.001 ; p -interaction = 0.04 ). Among applicators < 50 years of age, ever-atrazine use was associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (RR = 2.43 ; 95% CI: 1.10, 5.38; p -interaction = 0.60 ). For soft tissue sarcoma, there was an elevated risk in the highest tertile of exposure (RR T 3 : 2.54; 95% CI: 0.97, 6.62; p -trend = 0.31 ). In analyses with exposure lagged by 25 years, there was an elevated risk of pharyngeal (RR T 3 = 3.04 ; 95% CI: 1.45, 6.36; p -trend = 0.07 ) and kidney (RR Q 4 = 1.62 ; 95% CI: 1.15, 2.29; p -trend < 0.005 ) cancers. DISCUSSION We observed suggestive associations with some malignancies in overall, age-specific, and lagged analyses. Associations with aggressive prostate cancer and NHL were apparent among those diagnosed at younger ages and with cancers of the pharynx and kidney, and soft tissue sarcomas were observed in lagged analyses. Further work is needed to confirm these observed associations and elucidate potential underlying mechanisms. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13684.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard V. Remigio
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Patricia A. Erickson
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stella Koutros
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Paul S. Albert
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lauren M. Hurwitz
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jay H. Lubin
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Hoang TT, Lee Y, McCartney DL, Kersten ETG, Page CM, Hulls PM, Lee M, Walker RM, Breeze CE, Bennett BD, Burkholder AB, Ward J, Brantsæter AL, Caspersen IH, Motsinger-Reif AA, Richards M, White JD, Zhao S, Richmond RC, Magnus MC, Koppelman GH, Evans KL, Marioni RE, Håberg SE, London SJ. Comprehensive evaluation of smoking exposures and their interactions on DNA methylation. EBioMedicine 2024; 100:104956. [PMID: 38199042 PMCID: PMC10825325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Smoking impacts DNA methylation, but data are lacking on smoking-related differential methylation by sex or dietary intake, recent smoking cessation (<1 year), persistence of differential methylation from in utero smoking exposure, and effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). METHODS We meta-analysed data from up to 15,014 adults across 5 cohorts with DNA methylation measured in blood using Illumina's EPIC array for current smoking (2560 exposed), quit < 1 year (500 exposed), in utero (286 exposed), and ETS exposure (676 exposed). We also evaluated the interaction of current smoking with sex or diet (fibre, folate, and vitamin C). FINDINGS Using false discovery rate (FDR < 0.05), 65,857 CpGs were differentially methylated in relation to current smoking, 4025 with recent quitting, 594 with in utero exposure, and 6 with ETS. Most current smoking CpGs attenuated within a year of quitting. CpGs related to in utero exposure in adults were enriched for those previously observed in newborns. Differential methylation by current smoking at 4-71 CpGs may be modified by sex or dietary intake. Nearly half (35-50%) of differentially methylated CpGs on the 450 K array were associated with blood gene expression. Current smoking and in utero smoking CpGs implicated 3049 and 1067 druggable targets, including chemotherapy drugs. INTERPRETATION Many smoking-related methylation sites were identified with Illumina's EPIC array. Most signals revert to levels observed in never smokers within a year of cessation. Many in utero smoking CpGs persist into adulthood. Smoking-related druggable targets may provide insights into cancer treatment response and shared mechanisms across smoking-related diseases. FUNDING Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates and the Scottish Funding Council, Medical Research Council UK and the Wellcome Trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh T Hoang
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Cancer and Hematology Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yunsung Lee
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Elin T G Kersten
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Dept. of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Christian M Page
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Physical Health and Ageing, Division for Physical and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Paige M Hulls
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Exeter, UK
| | - Charles E Breeze
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, London, UK; Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brian D Bennett
- Department of Health and Human Services, Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Adam B Burkholder
- Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Environmental Science Cyberinfrastructure, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - James Ward
- Department of Health and Human Services, Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Anne Lise Brantsæter
- Department of Food Safety, Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ida H Caspersen
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alison A Motsinger-Reif
- Department of Health and Human Services, Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Julie D White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; GenOmics and Translational Research Center, Analytics Practice Area, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Department of Health and Human Services, Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Richmond
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Maria C Magnus
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Dept. of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Siri E Håberg
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stephanie J London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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9
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Chang VC, Zhou W, Berndt SI, Andreotti G, Yeager M, Parks CG, Sandler DP, Rothman N, Beane Freeman LE, Machiela MJ, Hofmann JN. Glyphosate Use and Mosaic Loss of Chromosome Y among Male Farmers in the Agricultural Health Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:127006. [PMID: 38055050 PMCID: PMC10699410 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide worldwide and has been implicated in the development of certain hematologic cancers. Although mechanistic studies in human cells and animals support the genotoxic effects of glyphosate, evidence in human populations is scarce. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the association between lifetime occupational glyphosate use and mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) as a marker of genotoxicity among male farmers. METHODS We analyzed blood-derived DNA from 1,606 farmers ≥ 50 years of age in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study, a subcohort of the Agricultural Health Study. mLOY was detected using genotyping array intensity data in the pseudoautosomal region of the sex chromosomes. Cumulative lifetime glyphosate use was assessed using self-reported pesticide exposure histories. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between glyphosate use and any detectable mLOY (overall mLOY) or mLOY affecting ≥ 10 % of cells (expanded mLOY). RESULTS Overall, mLOY was detected in 21.4% of farmers, and 9.8% of all farmers had expanded mLOY. Increasing total lifetime days of glyphosate use was associated with expanded mLOY [highest vs. lowest quartile; OR = 1.75 (95% CI: 1.00, 3.07), p trend = 0.03 ] but not with overall mLOY; the associations with expanded mLOY were most apparent among older (≥ 70 years of age) men [OR = 2.30 (95% CI: 1.13, 4.67), p trend = 0.01 ], never smokers [OR = 2.32 (95% CI: 1.04, 5.21), p trend = 0.04 ], and nonobese men [OR = 2.04 (95% CI: 0.99, 4.19), p trend = 0.03 ]. Similar patterns of associations were observed for intensity-weighted lifetime days of glyphosate use. DISCUSSION High lifetime glyphosate use could be associated with mLOY affecting a larger fraction of cells, suggesting glyphosate could confer genotoxic or selective effects relevant for clonal expansion. As the first study to investigate this association, our findings contribute novel evidence regarding the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate and require replication in future studies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12834.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky C. Chang
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Weiyin Zhou
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sonja I. Berndt
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Meredith Yeager
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, DHHS, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, DHHS, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mitchell J. Machiela
- Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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10
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Kim S, Beane Freeman LE, Albert PS. A latent functional approach for modeling the effects of multidimensional exposures on disease risk. Stat Med 2023; 42:4776-4793. [PMID: 37635131 DOI: 10.1002/sim.9888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the relationships between exposure and disease incidence is an important problem in environmental epidemiology. Typically, a large number of these exposures are measured, and it is found either that a few exposures transmit risk or that each exposure transmits a small amount of risk, but, taken together, these may pose a substantial disease risk. Further, these exposure effects can be nonlinear. We develop a latent functional approach, which assumes that the individual effect of each exposure can be characterized as one of a series of unobserved functions, where the number of latent functions is less than or equal to the number of exposures. We propose Bayesian methodology to fit models with a large number of exposures and show that existing Bayesian group LASSO approaches are a special case of the proposed model. An efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm is developed for carrying out Bayesian inference. The deviance information criterion is used to choose an appropriate number of nonlinear latent functions. We demonstrate the good properties of the approach using simulation studies. Further, we show that complex exposure relationships can be represented with only a few latent functional curves. The proposed methodology is illustrated with an analysis of the effect of cumulative pesticide exposure on cancer risk in a large cohort of farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungduk Kim
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Paul S Albert
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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11
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Hurwitz LM, Beane Freeman LE, Andreotti G, Hofmann JN, Parks CG, Sandler DP, Lubin JH, Liu J, Jones K, Berndt SI, Koutros S. Joint associations between established genetic susceptibility loci, pesticide exposures, and risk of prostate cancer. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:117063. [PMID: 37659638 PMCID: PMC10591852 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
More than 200 genetic variants have been independently associated with prostate cancer risk. Studies among farmers have also observed increased prostate cancer risk associated with exposure to specific organophosphate (fonofos, terbufos, malathion, dimethoate) and organochlorine (aldrin, chlordane) insecticides. We examined the joint associations between these pesticides, established prostate cancer loci, and prostate cancer risk among 1,162 cases (588 aggressive) and 2,206 frequency-matched controls nested in the Agricultural Health Study cohort. History of lifetime pesticide use was combined with a polygenic risk score (PRS) generated using 256 established prostate cancer risk variants. Logistic regression models estimated the joint associations of the pesticides, the PRS, and the 256 individual genetic variants with risk of total and aggressive prostate cancer. Likelihood ratio tests assessed multiplicative interaction. We observed interaction between ever use of fonofos and the PRS in relation to total and aggressive prostate cancer risk. Compared to the reference group (never use, PRS < median), men with ever use of fonofos and PRS > median had elevated risks of total (OR 1.35 [1.06-1.73], p-interaction = 0.03) and aggressive (OR 1.49 [1.09-2.04], p-interaction = 0.19) prostate cancer. There was also suggestion of interaction between pesticides and individual genetic variants occurring in regions associated with DNA damage response (CDH3, EMSY genes) and with variants related to altered androgen receptor-driven transcriptional programs critical for prostate cancer. Our study provides evidence that men with greater genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer may be at higher risk if they are also exposed to pesticides and suggests potential mechanisms by which pesticides may increase prostate cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Hurwitz
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jay H Lubin
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jia Liu
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA; Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kristine Jones
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA; Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Sonja I Berndt
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Stella Koutros
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
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12
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Barbosa de Sousa A, Rohr P, Silveira HCS. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA copy number variation in Brazilian farmers occupationally exposed to pesticides. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37967258 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2023.2280147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The use of pesticide use has been linked to the higher production of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress, which in turn can cause genomic instability. A marker for instability is the copy number variation of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNAcn), which has been found to be altered in diverse human diseases, including tumors. This research aimed to examine the variation of mtDNAcn in individuals occupationally exposed to pesticides. Real-time PCR assays were conducted on 154 individuals (78 exposed and 76 non-exposed). Pesticide-exposed ndividuals exhibited a significant reduction in mtDNAcn (1.11 ± 0.37mtDNAcn/genome) compared to non-exposed individuals (1.30 ± 0.33mtDNAcn/genome; p = 0.001). The multivariate analysis indicated that individuals who reported using haloxyfop and copper sulfate demonstrated an increase (β = 0.200, p = 0.053) and a decrease (β=-0.2, p = 0.021), respectively, in mtDNAcn. In conclusion, our findings suggest that chronic exposure to pesticides results in changes in mtDNAcn.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Rohr
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Henrique C S Silveira
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- University of Anhanguera, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Kim J, Leon ME, Schinasi LH, Baldi I, Lebailly P, Freeman LEB, Nordby KC, Ferro G, Monnereau A, Brouwer M, Kjaerheim K, Hofmann JN, Straif K, Kromhout H, Schüz J, Togawa K. Exposure to pesticides and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma in an international consortium of agricultural cohorts (AGRICOH). Cancer Causes Control 2023; 34:995-1003. [PMID: 37418114 PMCID: PMC10533587 DOI: 10.1007/s10552-023-01748-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Some pesticides may increase the risk of certain lymphoid malignancies, but few studies have examined Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). In this exploratory study, we examined associations between agricultural use of 22 individual active ingredients and 13 chemical groups and HL incidence. METHODS We used data from three agricultural cohorts participating in the AGRICOH consortium: the French Agriculture and Cancer Cohort (2005-2009), Cancer in the Norwegian Agricultural Population (1993-2011), and the US Agricultural Health Study (1993-2011). Lifetime pesticide use was estimated from crop-exposure matrices or self-report. Cohort-specific covariate-adjusted overall and age-specific (< 40 or ≥ 40 years) hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox regression and combined using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS Among 316 270 farmers (75% male) accumulating 3 574 815 person-years at risk, 91 incident cases of HL occurred. We did not observe statistically significant associations for any of the active ingredients or chemical groups studied. The highest risks of HL overall were observed for the pyrethroids deltamethrin (meta-HR = 1.86, 95% CI 0.76-4.52) and esfenvalerate (1.86, 0.78-4.43), and inverse associations of similar magnitude were observed for parathion and glyphosate. Risk of HL at ≥ 40 years of age was highest for ever-use of dicamba (2.04, 0.93-4.50) and lowest for glyphosate (0.46, 0.20-1.07). CONCLUSION We report the largest prospective investigation of these associations. Nonetheless, low statistical power, a mixture of histological subtypes and a lack of information on tumour EBV status complicate the interpretability of the results. Most HL cases occurred at older ages, thus we could not explore associations with adolescent or young adult HL. Furthermore, estimates may be attenuated due to non-differential exposure misclassification. Future work should aim to extend follow-up and refine both exposure and outcome classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Kim
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer, IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Maria E. Leon
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer, IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Leah H. Schinasi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Isabelle Baldi
- Service Santé Travail Environnement, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pierre Lebailly
- ANTICIPE, INSERM U1086, Université de Caen Normandie, and Centre de Lutte Contre Le Cancer François Baclesse, Caen, France
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD USA
| | | | - Gilles Ferro
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer, IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Alain Monnereau
- Hematological Malignancies Registry of Gironde, Bergonie Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Bordeaux, France
- EPICENE, INSERM U1219, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Maartje Brouwer
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Kurt Straif
- Non-communicable Diseases and Environment Programme, IS Global, Barcelona, Spain
- Global Observatory On Pollution and Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA USA
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joachim Schüz
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer, IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Kayo Togawa
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer, IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
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14
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Parks CG, Leyzarovich D, Love SA, Long S, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Sandler DP. High pesticide exposures events, pesticide poisoning, and shingles: A medicare-linked study of pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 181:108251. [PMID: 37862860 PMCID: PMC10836588 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Self-reported shingles was associated with history of high pesticide exposure events (HPEE) in licensed pesticide applicators aged >60 years in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). In the current study, using AHS-linked Medicare claims data, we examined incident shingles in relation to pesticide-related illness and pesticide poisoning, as well as HPEE. METHODS We studied 22,753 licensed private pesticide applicators (97% white males, enrolled in the AHS 1993-97), aged ≥66 years with >12 consecutive months of Medicare fee-for-service hospital and outpatient coverage between 1999 and 2016. Incident shingles was identified based on having ≥1 shingles claim(s) after 12 months without claims. At AHS enrollment, participants were asked if they ever sought medical care or were hospitalized for pesticide-related illness, and a supplemental questionnaire (completed by 51%) asked about HPEE and poisoning. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for age, sex, race, state, and education. RESULTS Over 192,053 person-years (PY), 2396 applicators were diagnosed with shingles (10.5%; age-standardized rate, 13.6 cases per 1,000PY), with higher rates among those reporting hospitalization for pesticide-related illness, pesticide poisoning, and HPEE (23.2, 22.5, and 16.6 per 1,000PY, respectively). In adjusted models, shingles was associated with hospitalization for pesticide-related illness (HR 1.69; 1.18, 2.39), poisoning (1.49; 1.08, 1.46), and HPEE (1.23; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.46), especially HPEE plus medical care/poisoning (1.78; 1.30, 2.43). CONCLUSION These novel findings suggest that acute, high-level, and clinically impactful pesticide exposures may increase risk of shingles in subsequent years to decades following exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Chen WL, Lin GL, Lin YJ, Su TY, Wang CC, Wu WT. Cancer risks in a population-based study of agricultural workers: results from the Taiwan's Farmers and Health Cohort study. Scand J Work Environ Health 2023; 49:419-427. [PMID: 37449304 PMCID: PMC10821750 DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.4106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess cancer risk among agricultural workers compared to the general population. METHODS The study utilized data from Farmers' Health Insurance (FHI) in Taiwan, which enrolled agricultural workers (N=1 175 149). The enrolled workers were matched to a general population (N=1 175 149) of the same age, gender, township, and enrollment year. The study population was linked to the National Cancer Registry to identify new cancer cases between 2000 and 2018. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for outcomes. RESULTS During the study period, 136 913 new cancers among agricultural workers were identified. The study found that male farmers had an increased cancer risk, including lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), oral cancer, lip cancer, esophagus cancer, rectum and rectosigmoid junction cancer, liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer, lung cancer, trachea and bronchi cancer, and other non-melanoma skin cancer, even when considering the latency period. Female farmers had an elevated risk of multiple myeloma and other non-melanoma skin cancer. Moreover, only lymphoma, NHL, other lymphoid, and multiple myeloma, were both found to occur at different insurance periods. CONCLUSIONS This study provides farmer cancer patterns and risk, adding to the evidence that farmers are at increased risk of certain types of cancer, especially for hematological cancers. As exposure varies by farm operation type, individual farmer exposure may vary widely. Further understanding of the complex relationship between occupational exposure, environmental factors, and lifestyle factors is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Wei-Te Wu
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053 Taiwan, ROC.
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16
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Dalton KR, Lee M, Wang Z, Zhao S, Parks CG, Beane-Freeman LE, Motsinger-Reif AA, London SJ. Occupational Farm Work Activities Influence Workers' Indoor Home Microbiome. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.08.17.23293194. [PMID: 37662364 PMCID: PMC10473816 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.23293194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Background Farm work entails a heterogeneous mixture of exposures that vary considerably across farms and farmers. Farm work is associated with various health outcomes, both adverse and beneficial. One mechanism by which farming exposures can impact health is through the microbiome, including the indoor built environment microbiome. It is unknown how individual occupational exposures shape the microbial composition in workers' homes. Objectives We investigated associations between farm work activities, including specific tasks and pesticide use, and the indoor microbiome in the homes of 468 male farmers. Methods Participants were licensed pesticide applicators, mostly farmers, enrolled in the Agricultural Lung Health Study from 2008-2011. Vacuumed dust from participants' bedrooms underwent whole-genome shotgun sequencing for indoor microbiome assessment. Using questionnaire data, we evaluated 6 farm work tasks (processing of either hay, silage, animal feed, fertilizer, or soy/grains, and cleaning grain bins) and 19 pesticide ingredients currently used in the past year, plus 7 persistent banned pesticide ingredients ever used. Results All 6 work tasks were associated with increased within-sample microbial diversity, with a positive dose-response for the sum of tasks (p=0.001). All tasks were associated with altered overall microbial compositions (weighted UniFrac p=0.001) and with higher abundance of specific microbes, including soil-based microbes such as Haloterrigena. Among the 19 pesticides, only current use of glyphosate and past use of lindane were associated with increased within-sample diversity (p=0.02-0.04). Ten currently used pesticides and all 7 banned pesticides were associated with altered microbial composition (p=0.001-0.04). Six pesticides were associated with differential abundance of certain microbes. Discussion Specific farm activities and exposures can impact the dust microbiome inside homes. Our work suggests that occupational farm exposures could impact the health of workers and their families through modifying the indoor environment, specifically the microbial composition of house dust, offering possible future intervention targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. Dalton
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ziyue Wang
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Laura E. Beane-Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alison A. Motsinger-Reif
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie J. London
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
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17
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Muñoz JP, Silva-Pavez E, Carrillo-Beltrán D, Calaf GM. Occurrence and exposure assessment of glyphosate in the environment and its impact on human beings. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:116201. [PMID: 37209985 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum and one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, which has led to its high environmental dissemination. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer stated that glyphosate was a probable human carcinogen. Since then, several studies have provided new data about the environmental exposure of glyphosate and its consequences on human health. Thus, the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate are still under debate. This work aimed to review glyphosate occurrence and exposure since 2015 up to date, considering studies associated with either environmental or occupational exposure and the epidemiological assessment of cancer risk in humans. These articles showed that herbicide residues were detectable in all spheres of the earth and studies on the population showed an increase in the concentration of glyphosate in biofluids, both in the general population and in the occupationally exposed population. However, the epidemiological studies under review provided limited evidence for the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, which was consistent with the International Agency for Research on Cancer classification as a probable carcinogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Muñoz
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile.
| | - Eduardo Silva-Pavez
- Facultad de Odontología y Ciencias de La Rehabilitación, Universidad San Sebastián, Bellavista, Santiago, Chile
| | - Diego Carrillo-Beltrán
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5090000, Chile
| | - Gloria M Calaf
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
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18
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Josse PR, Locke SJ, Bowles HR, Wolff-Hughes DL, Sauve JF, Andreotti G, Moon J, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Friesen MC. Using a smartphone application to capture daily work activities: a longitudinal pilot study in a farming population. Ann Work Expo Health 2023; 67:895-906. [PMID: 37382523 PMCID: PMC10410491 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Smartphones are increasingly used to collect real-time information on time-varying exposures. We developed and deployed an application (app) to evaluate the feasibility of using smartphones to collect real-time information on intermittent agricultural activities and to characterize agricultural task variability in a longitudinal study of farmers. METHODS We recruited 19 male farmers, aged 50-60 years, to report their farming activities on 24 randomly selected days over 6 months using the Life in a Day app. Eligibility criteria include personal use of an iOS or Android smartphone and >4 h of farming activities at least two days per week. We developed a study-specific database of 350 farming tasks that were provided in the app; 152 were linked to questions that were asked when the activity ended. We report eligibility, study compliance, number of activities, duration of activities by day and task, and responses to the follow-up questions. RESULTS Of the 143 farmers we reached out to for this study, 16 were not reached by phone or refused to answer eligibility questions, 69 were ineligible (limited smartphone use and/or farming time), 58 met study criteria, and 19 agreed to participate. Refusals were mostly related to uneasiness with the app and/or time commitment (32 of 39). Participation declined gradually over time, with 11 farmers reporting activities through the 24-week study period. We obtained data on 279 days (median 554 min/day; median 18 days per farmer) and 1,321 activities (median 61 min/activity; median 3 activities per day per farmer). The activities were predominantly related to animals (36%), transportation (12%), and equipment (10%). Planting crops and yard work had the longest median durations; short-duration tasks included fueling trucks, collecting/storing eggs, and tree work. Time period-specific variability was observed; for example, crop-related activities were reported for an average of 204 min/day during planting but only 28 min/day during pre-planting and 110 min/day during the growing period. We obtained additional information for 485 (37%) activities; the most frequently asked questions were related to "feed animals" (231 activities) and "operate fuel-powered vehicle (transportation)" (120 activities). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated feasibility and good compliance in collecting longitudinal activity data over 6 months using smartphones in a relatively homogeneous population of farmers. We captured most of the farming day and observed substantial heterogeneity in activities, highlighting the need for individual activity data when characterizing exposure in farmers. We also identified several areas for improvement. In addition, future evaluations should include more diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pabitra R Josse
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sarah J Locke
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Heather R Bowles
- Biometry Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, Unites States
| | - Dana L Wolff-Hughes
- Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, United States
| | | | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jon Moon
- MEI Research, Edina, MN, United States
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Melissa C Friesen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
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19
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Sadeghi H, Lynch CF, Field WR, Snetselaar LG, Jones MP, Sinha R, Torner JC. Dietary omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids and risk of prostate cancer; Is there any potential interaction by organophosphate insecticides among the agricultural health study population. Cancer Epidemiol 2023; 85:102410. [PMID: 37413804 PMCID: PMC10528409 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the United States (US), the average annual increase in the incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) has been 0.5% between 2013 and 2017. Although some modifiable factors have been identified as the risk factors for PCa, the effect of lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids intake (N-6/N-3) remains unknown. Previous studies of the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) reported a significant positive association between PCa and selected organophosphate pesticides (OPs) including terbufos and fonofos. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between N-6/N-3 and PCa and any interaction between N-6/N-3 and 2 selected OPs (i.e., terbufos and fonofos) exposure. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS This case-control study, nested within a prospective cohort study, was conducted on a subgroup of the AHS population (1193 PCa cases and 14,872 controls) who returned their dietary questionnaire between 1999 and 2003 MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PCa was coded based on the International Classification of Diseases of Oncology (ICD-O-3) definitions and obtained from the statewide cancer registries of Iowa (2003-2017) and North Carolina (2003-2014). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to obtain the odds ratios adjusted (aORs) for age at dietary assessment (years), race/ethnicity (white, African American, other), physical activity (hours/week), smoking (yes/no), terbufos (yes/no), fonofos (yes/no), diabetes, lycopene intake (milligrams/day), family history of PCa, and the interaction of N-6/N-3 with age, terbufos and fonofos. Pesticide exposure was assessed by self-administrated questionnaires collecting data on ever/never use of mentioned pesticides during lifetime as a yes/no variable. Assessing the P value for the interaction between pesticides and N-6/N-3, we used the continuous variable of "intensity adjusted cumulative exposure" to terbufos and fonofos. This exposure score was based on duration, intensity and frequency of exposure. We also conducted a stratified regression analysis by quartiles of age. RESULTS Relative to the highest N-6/N-3 quartile, the lowest quartile was significantly associated with a decreased risk of PCa (aOR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.41-0.90), and quartile-specific aORs decreased toward the lowest quartile (Ptrend=<0.01). Based on the age-stratified analysis, the protective effect was only significant for the lowest quartile of N-6/N-3 among those aged between 48 and 55 years old (aORs=0.97, 95% CI, 0.45-0.55). Among those who were exposed to terbufos (ever exposure reported as yes in the self-report questionnaires), lower quartiles of N-6/N-3 were protective albeit nonsignificant (aORs: 0.86, 0.92, 0.91 in quartiles 1,2, and 3, respectively). No meaningful findings were observed for fonofos and N-6/N-3 interaction. CONCLUSION Findings showed that lower N-6/N-3 may decrease risk of PCa among farmers. However, no significant interaction was found between selected organophosphate pesticides and N-6/N-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homa Sadeghi
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Charles F Lynch
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - William R Field
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Linda G Snetselaar
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Michael P Jones
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Rashmi Sinha
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James C Torner
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA
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20
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Friesen MC, Xie S, Sauvé JF, Viet SM, Josse PR, Locke SJ, Hung F, Andreotti G, Thorne PS, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE. An algorithm for quantitatively estimating occupational endotoxin exposure in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study: I. Development of task-specific exposure levels from published data. Am J Ind Med 2023; 66:561-572. [PMID: 37087684 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Farmers conduct numerous tasks with potential for endotoxin exposure. As a first step to characterize endotoxin exposure for farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) Study, we used published data to estimate task-specific endotoxin concentrations. METHODS We extracted published data on task-specific, personal, inhalable endotoxin concentrations for agricultural tasks queried in the study questionnaire. The data, usually abstracted as summary measures, were evaluated using meta-regression models that weighted each geometric mean (GM, natural-log transformed) by the inverse of its within-study variance to obtain task-specific predicted GMs. RESULTS We extracted 90 endotoxin summary statistics from 26 studies for 9 animal-related tasks, 30 summary statistics from 6 studies for 3 crop-related tasks, and 10 summary statistics from 5 studies for 4 stored grain-related tasks. Work in poultry and swine confinement facilities, grinding feed, veterinarian services, and cleaning grain bins had predicted GMs > 1000 EU/m3 . In contrast, harvesting or hauling grain and other crop-related tasks had predicted GMs below 100 EU/m3 . SIGNIFICANCE These task-specific endotoxin GMs demonstrated exposure variability across common agricultural tasks. These estimates will be used in conjunction with questionnaire responses on task duration to quantitatively estimate endotoxin exposure for study participants, described in a companion paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa C Friesen
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuai Xie
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jean-François Sauvé
- Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France (work was done while at Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Pabitra R Josse
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah J Locke
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Felicia Hung
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter S Thorne
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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21
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Wang Z, Dalton KR, Lee M, Parks CG, Beane Freeman LE, Zhu Q, González A, Knight R, Zhao S, Motsinger-Reif AA, London SJ. Metagenomics reveals novel microbial signatures of farm exposures in house dust. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1202194. [PMID: 37415812 PMCID: PMC10321240 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1202194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Indoor home dust microbial communities, important contributors to human health, are shaped by environmental factors, including farm-related exposures. Advanced metagenomic whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) improves detection and characterization of microbiota in the indoor built-environment dust microbiome, compared to conventional 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (16S). We hypothesized that the improved characterization of indoor dust microbial communities by WGS will enhance detection of exposure-outcome associations. The objective of this study was to identify novel associations of environmental exposures with the dust microbiome from the homes of 781 farmers and farm spouses enrolled in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. We examined various farm-related exposures, including living on a farm, crop versus animal production, and type of animal production, as well as non-farm exposures, including home cleanliness and indoor pets. We assessed the association of the exposures on within-sample alpha diversity and between-sample beta diversity, and the differential abundance of specific microbes by exposure. Results were compared to previous findings using 16S. We found most farm exposures were significantly positively associated with both alpha and beta diversity. Many microbes exhibited differential abundance related to farm exposures, mainly in the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. The identification of novel differential taxa associated with farming at the genera level, including Rhodococcus, Bifidobacterium, Corynebacterium, and Pseudomonas, was a benefit of WGS compared to 16S. Our findings indicate that characterization of dust microbiota, an important component of the indoor environment relevant to human health, is heavily influenced by sequencing techniques. WGS is a powerful tool to survey the microbial community that provides novel insights on the impact of environmental exposures on indoor dust microbiota. These findings can inform the design of future studies in environmental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyue Wang
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Kathryn R. Dalton
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Qiyun Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Antonio González
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alison A. Motsinger-Reif
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Stephanie J. London
- Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, United States
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22
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Norouzi F, Alizadeh I, Faraji M. Human exposure to pesticides and thyroid cancer: a worldwide systematic review of the literatures. Thyroid Res 2023; 16:13. [PMID: 37183250 PMCID: PMC10184385 DOI: 10.1186/s13044-023-00153-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancer is considered as one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Some pesticides can play a role as a potentially important risk factor in thyroid cancer by affecting thyroid morphology and thyroid hormone homeostasis. The aim of present study was to systematically review the available epidemiological evidence for human exposure to pesticides and thyroid cancer. Articles were searched in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science by suitable keywords from January 2000 to May 2021. Standard techniques for systematic reviews were followed in the current study and results reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, finally seven studies including four cohort studies and three case-control studies were reviewed. Organochlorines (OCPs) in more cases, Organophosphates (OPs) and Carbamates insecticides, herbicides and fungicides were the studied pesticides. Inconsistent results were reported in the surveyed articles on the OCPs. Two articles on the Carbamates (Carbaryl and Mancozeb) showed consistently an inverse association between exposure and thyroid cancer. Increased risk of thyroid cancer due to the exposure to the Malathion was reported in one article on the OPs. Due to the limited current knowledge about the effect of pesticides on thyroid cancer in humans, human health policies must be implemented to control individual's exposure to chemicals through using of botanical pesticides in agricultural. Also, more studies must be done to fill this gap of knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Norouzi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ismaeil Alizadeh
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Maryam Faraji
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
- Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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23
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Wang Z, Dalton KR, Lee M, Parks CG, Beane Freeman LE, Zhu Q, Gonz Lez A, Knight R, Zhao S, Motsinger-Reif AA, London SJ. Metagenomics reveals novel microbial signatures of farm exposures in house dust. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.07.23288301. [PMID: 37090637 PMCID: PMC10120797 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.23288301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Indoor home dust microbial communities, important contributors to human health outcomes, are shaped by environmental factors, including farm-related exposures. Detection and characterization of microbiota are influenced by sequencing methodology; however, it is unknown if advanced metagenomic whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) can detect novel associations between environmental exposures and the indoor built-environment dust microbiome, compared to conventional 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (16S). This study aimed to better depict indoor dust microbial communities using WGS to investigate novel associations with environmental risk factors from the homes of 781 farmers and farm spouses enrolled in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. We examined various farm-related exposures, including living on a farm, crop versus animal production, and type of animal production, as well as non-farm exposures, including home cleanliness and indoor pets. We assessed the association of the exposures on within-sample alpha diversity and between-sample beta diversity, and the differential abundance of specific microbes by exposure. Results were compared to previous findings using 16S. We found most farm exposures were significantly positively associated with both alpha and beta diversity. Many microbes exhibited differential abundance related to farm exposures, mainly in the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes , and Proteobacteria . The identification of novel differential taxa associated with farming at the genera level, including Rhodococcus, Bifidobacterium, Corynebacterium , and Pseudomonas , was a benefit of WGS compared to 16S. Our findings indicate that characterization of dust microbiota, an important component of the indoor environment relevant to human health, is heavily influenced by sequencing techniques. WGS is a powerful tool to survey the microbial community that provides novel insights on the impact of environmental exposures on indoor dust microbiota, and should be an important consideration in designing future studies in environmental health.
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24
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Bradley PM, Kolpin DW, Thompson DA, Romanok KM, Smalling KL, Breitmeyer SE, Cardon MC, Cwiertny DM, Evans N, Field RW, Focazio MJ, Beane Freeman LE, Givens CE, Gray JL, Hager GL, Hladik ML, Hofmann JN, Jones RR, Kanagy LK, Lane RF, McCleskey RB, Medgyesi D, Medlock-Kakaley EK, Meppelink SM, Meyer MT, Stavreva DA, Ward MH. Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 868:161672. [PMID: 36657670 PMCID: PMC9976626 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the United States and globally, contaminant exposure in unregulated private-well point-of-use tapwater (TW) is a recognized public-health data gap and an obstacle to both risk-management and homeowner decision making. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in private-well TW from hydrologically-vulnerable (alluvial, karst) aquifers in agriculturally-intensive landscapes, samples were collected in 2018-2019 from 47 northeast Iowa farms and analyzed for 35 inorganics, 437 unique organics, 5 in vitro bioassays, and 11 microbial assays. Twenty-six inorganics and 51 organics, dominated by pesticides and related transformation products (35 herbicide-, 5 insecticide-, and 2 fungicide-related), were observed in TW. Heterotrophic bacteria detections were near ubiquitous (94 % of the samples), with detection of total coliform bacteria in 28 % of the samples and growth on at least one putative-pathogen selective media across all TW samples. Health-based hazard index screening levels were exceeded frequently in private-well TW and attributed primarily to inorganics (nitrate, uranium). Results support incorporation of residential treatment systems to protect against contaminant exposure and the need for increased monitoring of rural private-well homes. Continued assessment of unmonitored and unregulated private-supply TW is needed to model contaminant exposures and human-health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Mary C Cardon
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Nicola Evans
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rena R Jones
- National Cancer Institute/NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mary H Ward
- National Cancer Institute/NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
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25
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Cavalier H, Trasande L, Porta M. Exposures to pesticides and risk of cancer: Evaluation of recent epidemiological evidence in humans and paths forward. Int J Cancer 2023; 152:879-912. [PMID: 36134639 PMCID: PMC9880902 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of the role in cancer etiology of environmental exposures as pesticides is a prerequisite for primary prevention. We review 63 epidemiological studies on exposure to pesticides and cancer risk in humans published from 2017 to 2021, with emphasis on new findings, methodological approaches, and gaps in the existing literature. While much of the recent evidence suggests causal relationships between pesticide exposure and cancer, the strongest evidence exists for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and colorectal cancer (CRC), diseases in which the observed associations were consistent across several studies, including high-quality prospective studies and those using biomarkers for exposure assessment, with some observing dose-response relationships. Though high-quality studies have been published since the IARC monograph on organophosphate insecticides in 2017, there are still gaps in the literature on carcinogenic evidence in humans for a large number of pesticides. To further knowledge, we suggest leveraging new techniques and methods to increase sensitivity and precision of exposure assessment, incorporate multi-omics data, and investigate more thoroughly exposure to chemical mixtures. There is also a strong need for better and larger population-based cohort studies that include younger and nonoccupationally exposed individuals, particularly during developmental periods of susceptibility. Though the existing evidence has limitations, as always in science, there is sufficient evidence to implement policies and regulatory action that limit pesticide exposure in humans and, hence, further prevent a significant burden of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haleigh Cavalier
- Department of PediatricsNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Environmental MedicineNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Population HealthNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of PediatricsNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Environmental MedicineNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Population HealthNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- NYU School of Global Public HealthNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Miquel Porta
- Department of PediatricsNew York University (NYU) School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- School of MedicineUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM PSMar PRBB)BarcelonaCataloniaSpain
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public HealthUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)MadridSpain
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26
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Thosapornvichai T, Huangteerakul C, Jensen AN, Jensen LT. Mitochondrial dysfunction from malathion and chlorpyrifos exposure is associated with degeneration of GABAergic neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 96:104000. [PMID: 36252730 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.104000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Toxicity resulting from off-target effects, beyond acetylcholine esterase inhibition, for the commonly used organophosphate (OP) insecticides chlorpyrifos (CPS) and malathion (MA) was investigated using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans model systems. Mitochondrial damage and dysfunction were observed in yeast following exposure to CPS and MA, suggesting this organelle is a major target. In the C. elegans model, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response pathway showed the most robust induction from CPS and MA treatment among stress responses examined. GABAergic neurodegeneration was observed with CPS and MA exposure. Impaired movement observed in C. elegans exposed to CPS and MA may be the result of motor neuron damage. Our analysis suggests that stress from CPS and MA results in mitochondrial dysfunction, with GABAergic neurons sensitized to these effects. These findings may aid in the understanding of toxicity from CPS and MA from high concentration exposure leading to insecticide poisoning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Laran T Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand.
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Friesen MC, Hung F, Xie S, Viet SM, Deziel NC, Locke SJ, Josse PR, Sauvé JF, Andreotti G, Thorne PS, Beane-Freeman LE, Hofmann JN. A Task-Specific Algorithm to Estimate Occupational (1→3)-β-D-glucan Exposure for Farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture Study. Ann Work Expo Health 2022; 66:974-984. [PMID: 35731645 PMCID: PMC9551320 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxac041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Farmers may be exposed to glucans (a cell component of molds) through a variety of tasks. The magnitude of exposure depends on each farmer's activities and their duration. We developed a task-specific algorithm to estimate glucan exposure that combines measurements of (1→3)-β-D-glucan with questionnaire responses from farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study. METHODS To develop the algorithm, we first derived task-based geometric means (GMs) of glucan exposure for farming tasks using inhalable personal air sampling data from a prior air monitoring study in a subset of 32 BEEA farmers. Next, these task-specific GMs were multiplied by subject-reported activity frequencies for three time windows (the past 30 days, past 7 days, and past 1 day) to obtain subject-, task-, and time window-specific glucan scores. These were summed together to obtain a total glucan score for each subject and time window. We examined the within- and between-task correlation in glucan scores for different time frames. Additionally, we assessed the algorithm for the 'past 1 day' time window using full-shift concentrations from the 32 farmers who participated in air monitoring the day prior to an interview using multilevel statistical models to compare the measured glucan concentration with algorithm glucan scores. RESULTS We focused on the five highest exposed tasks: poultry confinement (300 ng/m3), swine confinement (300 ng/m3), clean grain bins (200 ng/m3), grind feed (100 ng/m3), and stored seed or grain (50 ng/m3); the remaining tasks were <50 ng/m3 and had similar concentrations to each other. Overall, 67% of the participants reported at least one of these tasks. The most prevalent task was stored seed or grain (64%). The highest median glucan scores were observed for poultry confinement and swine confinement; these tasks were reported by 2% and 8% of the participants, respectively. The correlation between scores for the same task but different time windows was high for swine confinement and poultry confinement, but low for clean grain bins. Task-specific scores had low correlation with other tasks. Prior day glucan concentration was associated with the total glucan 'past 1 day' score and with swine confinement and clean grain bin task scores. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insight into the variability and key sources of glucan exposure in a US farming population. It also provides a framework for better glucan exposure assessment in epidemiologic studies and is a crucial starting point for evaluating health risks associated with glucans in future epidemiologic evaluations of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa C Friesen
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1-240-2476-7278; e-mail:
| | - Felicia Hung
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shuai Xie
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Nicole C Deziel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sarah J Locke
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pabitra R Josse
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jean-François Sauvé
- Pollutants Metrology Department, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- Work Performed: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter S Thorne
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Laura E Beane-Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Islam JY, Mohamed A, Umbach DM, London SJ, Henneberger PK, Beane Freeman LE, Sandler DP, Hoppin JA. Allergic and non-allergic wheeze among farm women in the Agricultural Health Study (2005-2010). Occup Environ Med 2022; 79:oemed-2022-108252. [PMID: 35940867 PMCID: PMC9905343 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Farms represent complex environments for respiratory exposures including hays, grains and pesticides. Little is known about the impact of these exposures on women's respiratory health. We evaluated the association of farm exposures with allergic and non-allergic wheeze among women in the Agricultural Health Study, a study of farmers and their spouses based in Iowa and North Carolina. METHODS We used self-reported data (2005-2010) on current use (≤12 months) of 15 pesticides (selected based on frequency of use) and occupational farm activities from 20 164 women. We defined allergic wheeze as reporting wheeze and doctor-diagnosed hay fever (7%) and non-allergic wheeze as wheeze but not hay fever (8%) in the past 12 months. Using polytomous logistic regression, we evaluated associations of wheeze subtypes with pesticides and other farm exposures (eg, raising farm animals) using no wheeze/hay fever as the referent, adjusting for age, body mass index, state, current asthma, glyphosate use and smoking. RESULTS Current use of any pesticide, reported by 7% of women, was associated with both allergic (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.67) and non-allergic (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.51) wheeze. Four pesticides were associated with at least one wheeze subtype: glyphosate, with both wheeze subtypes; diazinon and fly spray with only allergic wheeze; carbaryl with only non-allergic wheeze. Working weekly with mouldy hay was associated with allergic (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.26 to 2.80) and non-allergic wheeze (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.42). CONCLUSION Use of specific pesticides and certain farm activities may contribute to wheeze among farm women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Y Islam
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ahmed Mohamed
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - David M Umbach
- Biostatistics Branch, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | | | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Vogtmann E, Hua X, Yu G, Purandare V, Hullings AG, Shao D, Wan Y, Li S, Dagnall CL, Jones K, Hicks BD, Hutchinson A, Caporaso JG, Wheeler W, Sandler DP, Beane Freeman LE, Liao LM, Huang WY, Freedman ND, Caporaso NE, Sinha R, Gail MH, Shi J, Abnet CC. The Oral Microbiome and Lung Cancer Risk: An Analysis of 3 Prospective Cohort Studies. J Natl Cancer Inst 2022; 114:1501-1510. [PMID: 35929779 PMCID: PMC9664178 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies suggested associations between the oral microbiome and lung cancer, but studies were predominantly cross-sectional and underpowered. METHODS Using a case-cohort design, 1306 incident lung cancer cases were identified in the Agricultural Health Study; National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study; and Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Referent subcohorts were randomly selected by strata of age, sex, and smoking history. DNA was extracted from oral wash specimens using the DSP DNA Virus Pathogen kit, the 16S rRNA gene V4 region was amplified and sequenced, and bioinformatics were conducted using QIIME 2. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using weighted Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Higher alpha diversity was associated with lower lung cancer risk (Shannon index hazard ratio = 0.90, 95% confidence interval = 0.84 to 0.96). Specific principal component vectors of the microbial communities were also statistically significantly associated with lung cancer risk. After multiple testing adjustment, greater relative abundance of 3 genera and presence of 1 genus were associated with greater lung cancer risk, whereas presence of 3 genera were associated with lower risk. For example, every SD increase in Streptococcus abundance was associated with 1.14 times the risk of lung cancer (95% confidence interval = 1.06 to 1.22). Associations were strongest among squamous cell carcinoma cases and former smokers. CONCLUSIONS Multiple oral microbial measures were prospectively associated with lung cancer risk in 3 US cohort studies, with associations varying by smoking history and histologic subtype. The oral microbiome may offer new opportunities for lung cancer prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Vogtmann
- Correspondence to: Emily Vogtmann, PhD, MPH, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr, MSC 9768, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA (e-mail: )
| | | | - Guoqin Yu
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vaishnavi Purandare
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Autumn G Hullings
- Nutrition Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dantong Shao
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhu Wan
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA,Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research/Leidos Biomedical Research Laboratory, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Shilan Li
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA,Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Biomathematics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Casey L Dagnall
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA,Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research/Leidos Biomedical Research Laboratory, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kristine Jones
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA,Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research/Leidos Biomedical Research Laboratory, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Belynda D Hicks
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA,Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research/Leidos Biomedical Research Laboratory, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Amy Hutchinson
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA,Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research/Leidos Biomedical Research Laboratory, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - J Gregory Caporaso
- Center for Applied Microbiome Science, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | | | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group, National Institute for Environmental Health Science, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Linda M Liao
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wen-Yi Huang
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Neal D Freedman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Neil E Caporaso
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rashmi Sinha
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mitchell H Gail
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jianxin Shi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christian C Abnet
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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White JD, Wyss AB, Hoang TT, Lee M, Richards M, Parks CG, Beane-Freeman LE, Hankinson JL, Umbach DM, London SJ. Residential Wood Burning and Pulmonary Function in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:87008. [PMID: 36006053 PMCID: PMC9406613 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In low- and middle-income countries, burning biomass indoors for cooking or heating has been associated with poorer lung function. In high-income countries, wood, a form of biomass, is commonly used for heating in rural areas with increasing prevalence. However, in these settings the potential impact of chronic indoor woodsmoke exposure on pulmonary function is little studied. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the association of residential wood burning with pulmonary function in case-control study of asthma nested within a U.S. rural cohort. METHODS Using sample weighted multivariable linear regression, we estimated associations between some and frequent wood burning, both relative to no exposure, in relation to forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), their ratio (FEV 1 / FVC ), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). We examined effect modification by smoking or asthma status. RESULTS Among all participants and within smoking groups, wood burning was not appreciably related to pulmonary function. However, in individuals with asthma (n = 1,083 ), frequent wood burning was significantly associated with lower FEV 1 [β : - 164 mL ; 95% confidence interval (CI): - 261 , - 66 mL ], FVC (β : - 125 mL ; 95% CI: - 230 , - 20 mL ), and FEV 1 / FVC (β : - 2 % ; 95% CI: - 4 , - 0.4 % ), whereas no appreciable association was seen in individuals without asthma (n = 1,732 ). These differences in association by asthma were statistically significant for FEV 1 (p i n t e r a c t i o n = 0.0044 ) and FEV 1 / FVC (p i n t e r a c t i o n = 0.049 ). Frequent wood burning was also associated with higher FeNO levels in all individuals (n = 2,598 ; β : 0.1 ln ( ppb ) ; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.2), but associations did not differ by asthma or smoking status. DISCUSSION Frequent exposure to residential wood burning was associated with a measure of airway inflammation (FeNO) among all individuals and with lower pulmonary function among individuals with asthma. This group may wish to reduce wood burning or consider using air filtration devices. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10734.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie D. White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- GenOmics, Bioinformatics, and Translational Research Center, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Division, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Annah B. Wyss
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thanh T. Hoang
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura E. Beane-Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - David M. Umbach
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie J. London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Immunity, Inflammation and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Shrestha S, Parks CG, Umbach DM, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Blair A, Sandler DP. Use of permethrin and other pyrethroids and mortality in the Agricultural Health Study. Occup Environ Med 2022; 79:664-672. [PMID: 35688626 PMCID: PMC10368161 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2021-108156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Pyrethroid insecticides have been linked with multiple health outcomes. One study reported an association with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Given the widespread use of pyrethroids, these findings warrant confirmation. We explored associations of permethrin/pyrethroid use with overall and cause-specific mortality among 50 665 licensed pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS At enrolment (1993-1997), participants self-reported information on permethrin/pyrethroid use. Information on causes of death came from linkage with death registries through 2016. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HRs and 95% CIs with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS Over an average 21 years of follow-up, 19.6% (9,955) of the cohort died. We found no clear evidence that ever-use of permethrin/pyrethroid was associated with elevated overall mortality or with mortality from most causes examined. There was suggestive evidence, based on a small number of deaths among those exposed, for elevated pyrethroid-associated mortality from some neurological, respiratory and genitourinary diseases in the overall sample and from lung cancer among never-smokers. CONCLUSION Although based on mortality, which is also affected by survival, rather than incidence, these findings are biologically plausible, and future investigations in other populations may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srishti Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - David M Umbach
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Aaron Blair
- Formerly of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Nonlinear Relationships among the Natural Environment, Health, and Sociodemographic Characteristics across US Counties. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116898. [PMID: 35682481 PMCID: PMC9180717 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to explore the nonlinear relationships between natural amenities and health at the intersection of sociodemographic characteristics among primary care patients with chronic conditions. Methods: We used survey data from 3409 adults across 119 US counties. PROMIS-29 mental and physical health summary scores were the primary outcomes. The natural environment (measured using the County USDA Natural Amenities Scale (NAS)) was the primary predictor. Piecewise spline regression models were used to explore the relationships between NAS and health at the intersection of sociodemographic factors. Results: We identified a nonlinear relationship between NAS and health. Low-income individuals had a negative association with health with each increase in NAS in high-amenity areas only. However, White individuals had a stronger association with health with each increase in NAS in low-amenity areas. Conclusions: In areas with low natural amenities, more amenities are associated with better physical and mental health, but only for advantaged populations. Meanwhile, for disadvantaged populations, an increase in amenities in high-amenity areas is associated with decreases in mental and physical health. Understanding how traditionally advantaged populations utilize the natural environment could provide insight into the mechanisms driving these disparities.
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Exposure to Airborne Pesticides and Its Residue in Blood Serum of Paddy Farmers in Malaysia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116806. [PMID: 35682390 PMCID: PMC9180057 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background: Pesticides manage pests and diseases in agriculture, but they harm the health of agricultural workers. Concentrations of thirteen pesticides were determined in personal air and blood serum of 85 paddy farmers and 85 non-farmers, thereafter associated with health symptoms. Method: Samples were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Results: The median concentration of pesticides in personal air samples ranged from 10.69 to 188.49 ng/m3 for farmers and from 5.79 to 73.66 ng/m3 for non-farmers. The median concentration of pesticides in blood serum was from 58.27 to 210.12 ng/mL for farmers and 47.83 to 62.74 ng/mL for non-farmers. Concentration of eleven pesticides in personal air and twelve pesticides in blood serum were significantly higher in farmers than non-farmers (p < 0.05). All pesticides detected in personal air correlated significantly with concentration in the blood serum of farmers (p < 0.05). Health symptoms reported by farmers were dizziness (49.4%), nausea (47.1%), cough (35.3%), chest pain (30.6%), breathing difficulty (23.5%), sore throat (22.4%), vomiting (18.8%), phlegm (16.5%), and wheezing (15.3%). Concentration of pesticides in personal air, blood serum, and health symptoms were not significantly associated. Conclusion: Occupational exposure to pesticides significantly contaminates blood serum of farmers compared to non-farmers.
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Manley CK, Spaur M, Madrigal JM, Fisher JA, Jones RR, Parks CG, Hofmann JN, Sandler DP, Beane Freeman L, Ward MH. Drinking water sources and water quality in a prospective agricultural cohort. Environ Epidemiol 2022; 6:e210. [PMID: 35702502 PMCID: PMC9187174 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe drinking water sources and water quality for a large agricultural cohort. We used questionnaire data from the Agricultural Health Study (N = 89,655), a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses in Iowa (IA) and North Carolina (NC), to ascertain drinking water source at enrollment (1993-1997). For users of public water supplies (PWS), we linked participants' geocoded addresses to contaminant monitoring data [five haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N)]. We estimated private well nitrate levels using random forest models accounting for well depth, soil characteristics, nitrogen inputs, and other predictors. We assigned drinking water source for 84% (N = 74,919) of participants. Among these, 69% of IA and 75% of NC participants used private wells; 27% in IA and 21% in NC used PWS. Median PWS nitrate concentrations (NO3-N) were higher in IA [0.9 mg/L, interquartile range (IQR): 0.4-3.1 mg/L] than NC (0.1 mg/L, IQR: 0.1-0.2 mg/L), while median HAA5 and TTHM concentrations were higher in NC (HAA5: 11.9 µg/L, IQR: 5.5-33.4 µg/L; TTHM: 37.7 µg/L, IQR: 10.7-54.7 µg/L) than IA (HAA5: 5.0 µg/L, IQR: 3.7-10.7 µg/L; TTHM: 13.0 µg/L, IQR: 4.2-32.4 µg/L). Private well nitrate concentrations in IA (1.5 mg/L, IQR: 0.8-4.9 mg/L) and NC (1.9 mg/L, IQR: 1.4-2.5 mg/L) were higher than PWS. More private wells in IA (12%) exceeded 10 mg/L NO3-N (regulatory limit for PWS) than NC (<1%). Due to the proximity of their drinking water sources to farms, agricultural communities may be exposed to elevated nitrate levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherrel K. Manley
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Maya Spaur
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, New York
| | - Jessica M. Madrigal
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jared A. Fisher
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rena R. Jones
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Laura Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mary H. Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Parks CG, Costenbader KH, Long S, Hofmann JN, Beane FLE, Sandler DP. Pesticide use and risk of systemic autoimmune diseases in the Agricultural Health Study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 209:112862. [PMID: 35123967 PMCID: PMC9205340 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk has been associated with pesticide use, but evidence on specific pesticides or other agricultural exposures is lacking. We investigated history of pesticide use and risk of SLE and a related disease, Sjögren's syndrome (SS), in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS The study sample (N = 54,419, 52% male, enrolled in 1993-1997) included licensed pesticide applicators from North Carolina and Iowa and spouses who completed any of the follow-up questionnaires (1999-2003, 2005-2010, 2013-2015). Self-reported cases were confirmed by medical records or medication use (total: 107 incident SLE or SS, 79% female). We examined ever use of 31 pesticides and farm tasks and exposures reported at enrollment in association with SLE/SS, using Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), with age as the timescale and adjusting for gender, state, and correlated pesticides. RESULTS In older participants (>62 years), SLE/SS was associated with ever use of the herbicide metribuzin (HR 5.33; 95%CI 2.19, 12.96) and applying pesticides 20+ days per year (2.97; 1.20, 7.33). Inverse associations were seen for petroleum oil/distillates (0.39; 0.18, 0.87) and the insecticide carbaryl (0.56; 0.36, 0.87). SLE/SS was inversely associated with having a childhood farm residence (0.59; 0.39, 0.91), but was not associated with other farm tasks/exposures (except welding, HR 2.65; 95%CI 0.96, 7.35). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that some agricultural pesticides may be associated with higher or lower risk of SLE/SS. However, the overall risk associated with farming appears complex, involving other factors and childhood exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - K H Costenbader
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Long
- Westat, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - J N Hofmann
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Freeman L E Beane
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - D P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Completeness of cohort-linked U.S. Medicare data: An example from the Agricultural Health Study (1999–2016). Prev Med Rep 2022; 27:101766. [PMID: 35369114 PMCID: PMC8971642 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe linked U.S. Medicare claims data in the Agricultural Health Study. Incomplete claims data were related to geographic, demographic, and health. We saw potential informative missingness by pesticide use and mortality. Incomplete data in Medicare-linked cohorts may impact sample size and validity.
Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) claims data, including inpatient (Part A) and outpatient (Part B) services, provide a valuable resource for research on older adults (≥65 year) in linked U.S. cohorts. Here we describe our experience linking the Agricultural Health Study cohort, including 47,501 licensed pesticide applicators and spouses from North Carolina (NC) and Iowa (IA) to Medicare claims data from 1999 to 2016. Given increased Part C (i.e., managed care/Medicare Advantage) enrollment during this period, and a resulting lack of available Part C claims data prior to 2015, we also explored potential for informative missingness. We compared those with partial or limited/no FFS to those with complete FFS coverage (i.e., ≥11 months per year parts AB, but not C, throughout Medicare enrollment) in relation to baseline farm size, general pesticide use, and mortality, in logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, and smoking, and stratified by state. While 46,689 participants (98%) were linked to Medicare IDs, only 33,487 (70%) had complete FFS, 9353 (20%) had partial FFS (≥1 year FFS but not complete), and 3849 (8%) had limited/no FFS (Part A or Part C-only). Incomplete FFS was more common in NC, mostly due to Part C, and was associated with farm characteristics, pesticide use, and mortality. These findings indicate that, in addition to reduced sample size in analyses limited to complete FFS, missingness may not be random. The potential impact of incomplete FFS data and changes in coverage type need to be considered when planning linked analyses and interpreting results.
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Yuan Y, Shrestha S, Luo Z, Li C, Plassman BL, Parks CG, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Sandler DP, Chen H. High Pesticide Exposure Events and Dream‐Enacting Behaviors Among US Farmers. Mov Disord 2022; 37:962-971. [PMID: 35152487 PMCID: PMC9524747 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dream-enacting behavior is a characteristic feature of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, the most specific prodromal marker of synucleinopathies. Pesticide exposure may be associated with dream-enacting behaviors, but epidemiological evidence is limited. OBJECTIVES To examine high pesticide exposure events in relation to dream-enacting behaviors among farmers in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine high pesticide exposure events reported from 1993 to 1997 in relation to dream-enacting behaviors assessed from 2013 to 2015 among 11,248 farmers (age 47 ± 11 years). RESULTS A history of dream-enacting behaviors was reported by 939 (8.3%) farmers. Compared with farmers who did not report any high pesticide exposure event, those who reported were more likely to endorse dream-enacting behaviors 2 decades later (odds ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-2.05). The association appeared stronger when there was a long delay in washing with soap and water after the event (2.63 [95% CI, 1.62-4.27] for waiting >6 hours vs. 1.71 [95% CI, 1.36-2.15] for washing within 30 minutes) and when the exposure involved the respiratory or digestive tract (2.04 [95% CI, 1.62-2.57] vs. 1.58 [95% CI, 1.29-1.93] for dermal contact only). In the analyses of specific pesticides involved, we found positive associations with two organochlorine insecticides (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and lindane), four organophosphate insecticides (phorate, ethoprop, terbufos, and parathion), two herbicides (alachlor and paraquat), and fungicides as a group. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first epidemiological evidence that high pesticide exposures may be associated with a higher risk of dream-enacting behaviors. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqun Yuan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Srishti Shrestha
- The Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia Center University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson Mississippi USA
| | - Zhehui Luo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Chenxi Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Brenda L. Plassman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Duke University Medical Center Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA
| | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics National Cancer Institute Rockville Maryland USA
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics National Cancer Institute Rockville Maryland USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA
| | - Honglei Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
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Skaarup C, Wodschow K, Voutchkova DD, Schullehner J, Raaschou-Nielsen O, Andersen HR, Hansen B, Ersbøll AK. Geographical Distribution and Pattern of Pesticides in Danish Drinking Water 2002-2018: Reducing Data Complexity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19020823. [PMID: 35055647 PMCID: PMC8775924 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pesticides are a large and heterogenous group of chemicals with a complex geographic distribution in the environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the geographic distribution of pesticides in Danish drinking water and identify potential patterns in the grouping of pesticides. Our data included 899,169 analyses of 167 pesticides and metabolites, of which 55 were identified above the detection limit. Pesticide patterns were defined by (1) pesticide groups based on chemical structure and pesticide-metabolite relations and (2) an exploratory factor analysis identifying underlying patterns of related pesticides within waterworks. The geographic distribution was evaluated by mapping the pesticide categories for groups and factor components, namely those detected, quantified, above quality standards, and not analysed. We identified five and seven factor components for the periods 2002-2011 and 2012-2018, respectively. In total, 16 pesticide groups were identified, of which six were representative in space and time with regards to the number of waterworks and analyses, namely benzothiazinone, benzonitriles, organophosphates, phenoxy herbicides, triazines, and triazinones. Pesticide mapping identified areas where multiple pesticides were detected, indicating areas with a higher pesticide burden. The results contribute to a better understanding of the pesticide pattern in Danish drinking water and may contribute to exposure assessments for future epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Skaarup
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 1455 Copenhagen, Denmark; (K.W.); (A.K.E.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kirstine Wodschow
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 1455 Copenhagen, Denmark; (K.W.); (A.K.E.)
| | - Denitza D. Voutchkova
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), C.F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (D.D.V.); (J.S.); (B.H.)
| | - Jörg Schullehner
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), C.F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (D.D.V.); (J.S.); (B.H.)
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Environment, Work and Health, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole Raaschou-Nielsen
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Helle Raun Andersen
- Department of Public Health, Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Envinronmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 17A, 5000 Odense, Denmark;
| | - Birgitte Hansen
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), C.F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (D.D.V.); (J.S.); (B.H.)
| | - Annette Kjær Ersbøll
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 1455 Copenhagen, Denmark; (K.W.); (A.K.E.)
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Gribben KC, Wyss AB, Poole JA, Farazi PA, Wichman C, Richards-Barber M, Beane Freeman LE, Henneberger PK, Umbach DM, London SJ, LeVan TD, Gribben KC. CC16 polymorphisms in asthma, asthma subtypes, and asthma control in adults from the Agricultural Lung Health Study. Respir Res 2022; 23:305. [PMID: 36352422 PMCID: PMC9644514 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-022-02211-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The club cell secretory protein (CC16) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and is a potential early biomarker of lung damage. The CC16 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3741240 risk allele (A) has been inconsistently linked to asthma; other tagging SNPs in the gene have not been explored. The aim was to determine whether CC16 tagging polymorphisms are associated with adult asthma, asthma subtypes or asthma control in the Agricultural Lung Health Study (ALHS). METHODS The ALHS is an asthma case-control study nested in the Agricultural Health Study cohort. Asthma cases were individuals with current doctor diagnosed asthma, likely undiagnosed asthma, or asthma-COPD overlap defined by questionnaire. We also examined asthma subtypes and asthma control. Five CC16 tagging SNPs were imputed to 1000 Genomes Integrated phase 1 reference panel. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between CC16 SNPs and asthma outcomes adjusted for covariates. RESULTS The sample included 1120 asthma cases and 1926 controls of European ancestry, with a mean age of 63 years. The frequency of the risk genotype (AA) for rs3741240 was 12.5% (n = 382). CC16 rs3741240 was not associated with adult asthma outcomes. A tagging SNP in the CC16 gene, rs12270961 was associated with uncontrolled asthma (n = 208, ORadj= 1.4, 95% CI 1.0, 1.9; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION This study, the largest study to investigate associations between CC16 tagging SNPs and asthma phenotypes in adults, did not confirm an association of rs3741240 with adult asthma. A tagging SNP in CC16 suggests a potential relationship with asthma control.
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Affiliation(s)
- KC Gribben
- grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA
| | - AB Wyss
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC USA
| | - JA Poole
- grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA
| | - PA Farazi
- grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA
| | - C Wichman
- grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Biostatistics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA
| | | | - LE Beane Freeman
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - PK Henneberger
- grid.416738.f0000 0001 2163 0069Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV USA
| | - DM Umbach
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC USA
| | - SJ London
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC USA
| | - TD LeVan
- grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA ,grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA
| | - Kelli C. Gribben
- grid.266813.80000 0001 0666 4105Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 68198 Omaha, NE USA
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Togawa K, Leon ME, Lebailly P, Beane Freeman LE, Nordby KC, Baldi I, MacFarlane E, Shin A, Park S, Greenlee RT, Sigsgaard T, Basinas I, Hofmann JN, Kjaerheim K, Douwes J, Denholm R, Ferro G, Sim MR, Kromhout H, Schüz J. Cancer incidence in agricultural workers: Findings from an international consortium of agricultural cohort studies (AGRICOH). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 157:106825. [PMID: 34461377 PMCID: PMC8484858 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Agricultural work can expose workers to potentially hazardous agents including known and suspected carcinogens. This study aimed to evaluate cancer incidence in male and female agricultural workers in an international consortium, AGRICOH, relative to their respective general populations. METHODS The analysis included eight cohorts that were linked to their respective cancer registries: France (AGRICAN: n = 128,101), the US (AHS: n = 51,165, MESA: n = 2,177), Norway (CNAP: n = 43,834), Australia (2 cohorts combined, Australian Pesticide Exposed Workers: n = 12,215 and Victorian Grain Farmers: n = 919), Republic of Korea (KMCC: n = 8,432), and Denmark (SUS: n = 1,899). For various cancer sites and all cancers combined, standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each cohort using national or regional rates as reference rates and were combined by random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS During nearly 2,800,000 person-years, a total of 23,188 cancers were observed. Elevated risks were observed for melanoma of the skin (number of cohorts = 3, meta-SIR = 1.18, CI: 1.01-1.38) and multiple myeloma (n = 4, meta-SIR = 1.27, CI: 1.04-1.54) in women and prostate cancer (n = 6, meta-SIR = 1.06, CI: 1.01-1.12), compared to the general population. In contrast, a deficit was observed for the incidence of several cancers, including cancers of the bladder, breast (female), colorectum, esophagus, larynx, lung, and pancreas and all cancers combined (n = 7, meta-SIR for all cancers combined = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.90). The direction of risk was largely consistent across cohorts although we observed large between-cohort variations in SIR for cancers of the liver and lung in men and women, and stomach, colorectum, and skin in men. CONCLUSION The results suggest that agricultural workers have a lower risk of various cancers and an elevated risk of prostate cancer, multiple myeloma (female), and melanoma of skin (female) compared to the general population. Those differences and the between-cohort variations may be due to underlying differences in risk factors and warrant further investigation of agricultural exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayo Togawa
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France.
| | - Maria E Leon
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Pierre Lebailly
- ANTICIPE, U1086 INSERM, Université de Caen Normandie, and Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer François Baclesse, Caen, France
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Isabelle Baldi
- EPICENE, U1219 INSERM, Université de Bordeaux, and Service Santé Travail Environnement, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ewan MacFarlane
- Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Aesun Shin
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sue Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert T Greenlee
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI, USA
| | - Torben Sigsgaard
- Department of Public Health, Research Section for Environment, Occupation and Health, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ioannis Basinas
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Jeroen Douwes
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Rachel Denholm
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Gilles Ferro
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joachim Schüz
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
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Hoang TT, Qi C, Paul KC, Lee M, White JD, Richards M, Auerbach SS, Long S, Shrestha S, Wang T, Beane Freeman LE, Hofmann JN, Parks C, Xu CJ, Ritz B, Koppelman GH, London SJ. Epigenome-Wide DNA Methylation and Pesticide Use in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:97008. [PMID: 34516295 PMCID: PMC8437246 DOI: 10.1289/ehp8928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pesticide exposure is associated with many long-term health outcomes; the potential underlying mechanisms are not well established for most associations. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, may contribute. Individual pesticides may be associated with specific DNA methylation patterns but no epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) has evaluated methylation in relation to individual pesticides. OBJECTIVES We conducted an EWAS of DNA methylation in relation to several pesticide active ingredients. METHODS The Agricultural Lung Health Study is a case-control study of asthma, nested within the Agricultural Health Study. We analyzed blood DNA methylation measured using Illumina's EPIC array in 1,170 male farmers of European ancestry. For pesticides still on the market at blood collection (2009-2013), we evaluated nine active ingredients for which at least 30 participants reported past and current (within the last 12 months) use, as well as seven banned organochlorines with at least 30 participants reporting past use. We used robust linear regression to compare methylation at individual C-phosphate-G sites (CpGs) among users of a specific pesticide to never users. RESULTS Using family-wise error rate (p<9×10-8) or false-discovery rate (FDR<0.05), we identified 162 differentially methylated CpGs across 8 of 9 currently marketed active ingredients (acetochlor, atrazine, dicamba, glyphosate, malathion, metolachlor, mesotrione, and picloram) and one banned organochlorine (heptachlor). Differentially methylated CpGs were unique to each active ingredient, and a dose-response relationship with lifetime days of use was observed for most. Significant CpGs were enriched for transcription motifs and 28% of CpGs were associated with whole blood cis-gene expression, supporting functional effects of findings. We corroborated a previously reported association between dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (banned in the United States in 1972) and epigenetic age acceleration. DISCUSSION We identified differential methylation for several active ingredients in male farmers of European ancestry. These may serve as biomarkers of chronic exposure and could inform mechanisms of long-term health outcomes from pesticide exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8928.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh T. Hoang
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cancan Qi
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Kimberly C. Paul
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Julie D. White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Scott S. Auerbach
- Biomolecular Screening Branch, National Toxicology Program, NIEHS, NIH, DHHS, Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Srishti Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tianyuan Wang
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, NIH, DHHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Cheng-Jian Xu
- Research Group of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, CiiM, Centre for individualized infection medicine, a joint venture between Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Beate Ritz
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gerard H. Koppelman
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Stephanie J. London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Shearer JJ, Sandler DP, Andreotti G, Murata K, Shrestha S, Parks CG, Liu D, Alavanja MC, Landgren O, Beane Freeman LE, Hofmann JN. Pesticide use and kidney function among farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 199:111276. [PMID: 33989625 PMCID: PMC8489787 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pesticides have been reported to be associated with malignant and non-malignant kidney disease. Few studies have examined the relationship between individual pesticides and kidney dysfunction. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the associations of pesticide use with measured kidney function among male pesticide applicators in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study, a subcohort in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS Serum creatinine was measured in 1545 BEEA participants and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated with the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. Using reported information on lifetime use of 41 pesticides, multivariable linear and logistic regression was used to examine associations with eGFR modeled continuously and with CKD (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), respectively. Models were adjusted for possible confounding factors related to kidney function and correlated pesticides. RESULTS Lower eGFR was observed among pesticide applicators who ever used the herbicides pendimethalin (-3.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.8%, -1.5%), atrazine (-3.7%, 95% CI: 6.9%, -0.4%), and dicamba (-2.8%, 95% CI: 5.3%, -0.2%) compared with never users of each pesticide. Ever use of pendimethalin (odds ratio (OR)=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.2) and atrazine (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.0, 3.0) was also associated with elevated odds of CKD, with an exposure-response association between intensity-weighted lifetime days of pendimethalin use and CKD among active farmers (N=1302; ptrend=0.04). Atrazine use within the last year was associated with lower eGFR and elevated odds of CKD when compared with never users, and we observed exposure-response associations with intensity-weighted lifetime days among recent users. Use of several other pesticides was associated with higher eGFR. DISCUSSION These results suggest that two widely used herbicides, pendimethalin and atrazine, may be associated with altered kidney function among pesticide applicators. Our findings for these herbicides are consistent with observed associations with end-stage renal disease in the Agricultural Health Study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Shearer
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle, NC, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kazunori Murata
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Srishti Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle, NC, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle, NC, USA
| | - Danping Liu
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael C Alavanja
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ola Landgren
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, USA; Myeloma Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Arcury TA, Chen H, Arnold TJ, Quandt SA, Anderson KA, Scott RP, Talton JW, Daniel SS. Pesticide exposure among Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina. Am J Ind Med 2021; 64:602-619. [PMID: 34036619 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although pesticides have adverse effects on child health and development, little research has examined pesticide exposure among child farmworkers. This analysis addresses two specific aims: (1) describes pesticide exposure among Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina, and (2) delineates factors associated with this pesticide exposure. METHODS In 2018 (n = 173) and 2019 (n = 156) Latinx child farmworkers completed interviews and wore silicone wristbands for a single day to measure pesticide exposure. Wristbands were analyzed for 70 pesticides. RESULTS Most Latinx child farmworkers were exposed to multiple pesticides; the most frequent were pyrethroids (69.9% in 2018, 67.9% in 2019), organochlorines (51.4% in 2018, 55.1% in 2019), and organophosphates (51.4% in 2018, 34.0% in 2019). Children were exposed to a mean of 2.15 pesticide classes in 2018 and 1.91 in 2019, and to a mean of 4.06 pesticides in 2018 and 3.34 in 2019. Younger children (≤15 years) had more detections than older children; children not currently engaged in farm work had more detections than children currently engaged in farm work. Migrant child farmworkers had more detections than nonmigrants. For specific pesticides with at least 20 detections, detections and concentrations were generally greater among children not currently engaged in farm work than children currently engaged. CONCLUSIONS Children who live in farmworker communities are exposed to a plethora of pesticides. Although further research is needed to document the extent of pesticide exposure and its health consequences, sufficient information is available to inform the policy needed to eliminate this pesticide exposure in agricultural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Arcury
- Department of Family and Community Medicine Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
- Center for Worker Health Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
| | - Haiying Chen
- Center for Worker Health Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Division of Public Health Sciences Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
| | - Taylor J. Arnold
- Department of Family and Community Medicine Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
| | - Sara A. Quandt
- Center for Worker Health Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
| | - Kim A. Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Richard P. Scott
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Jennifer W. Talton
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Division of Public Health Sciences Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
| | - Stephanie S. Daniel
- Department of Family and Community Medicine Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston‐Salem North Carolina USA
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Parks CG, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Sandler DP. Agricultural Pesticides and Shingles Risk in a Prospective Cohort of Licensed Pesticide Applicators. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:77005. [PMID: 34319145 PMCID: PMC8317610 DOI: 10.1289/ehp7797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some pesticides are immunotoxic and have been associated with an increased risk of immune-mediated diseases. The risk of shingles, the clinical reactivation of varicella-zoster virus, increases with aging and immunosuppression; little is known about its associations with pesticides. OBJECTIVE We examined the use of agricultural pesticides in relation to incident shingles in a prospective cohort of licensed pesticide applicators. METHODS The study sample included 12,820 (97% male) farmers (enrolled in 1993-1997 in North Carolina and Iowa), who were followed for a median of 12 y (interquartile range: 11-13). Shingles was self-reported at enrollment and at follow-up. We evaluated ever-use of 48 agricultural pesticides reported at study enrollment in relation to shingles risk and considered exposure-response for intensity-weighted lifetime days (IWLDs) of use. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for state, and allowing estimates to vary by median attained age (60 y). RESULTS Incident shingles was reported by 590 participants. Associations were positive (HRs>1.2) for ever- vs. never-use of eight insecticides, three fumigants, two fungicides, and five herbicides, and exposure-response trends were seen across increasing quartiles (Q3 and Q4>Q1) or tertiles (T3 and T2>T1) of IWLDs for four insecticides [permethrin (crops), coumaphos, malathion, and lindane], two fumigants (carbon tetrachloride/carbon disulfide and methyl bromide), and three herbicides [alachlor, trifluralin (<60 years of age) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid]. Shingles was not associated with total years or days per year mixed or applied any pesticides, but in older participants, shingles was associated with a history of a high pesticide exposure event [HR=1.89 (95% CI: 1.45, 2.45)]. CONCLUSIONS Several specific pesticides were associated with increased risk of shingles in farmers, especially at higher levels of cumulative use. These novel findings, if replicated in other populations, could have broader implications for the potential effects of pesticides on vaccine efficacy and susceptibility to other infections. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7797.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan N. Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura E. Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Shrestha S, Parks CG, Richards-Barber M, Chen H, Sandler DP. Parkinson's disease case ascertainment in a large prospective cohort. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251852. [PMID: 34010345 PMCID: PMC8133399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In epidemiologic studies where physician-based case adjudication is not feasible, Parkinson’s disease (PD) case ascertainment is often limited to self-reports which may not be accurate. We evaluated strategies to identify PD cases in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). Methods Doctor-diagnosed PD was self-reported on all cohort-wide surveys; potential cases were also identified from death certificates. Follow-up surveys asked about PD-related motor and non-motor symptoms. For PD confirmation, we collected additional diagnosis, symptom, and treatment data from 510 potential PD cases or their proxy (65% of those contacted) in a supplemental screener and obtained medical records for a subset (n = 65). We classified PD cases using established criteria and screener data. Results Of 510 potential PD cases, 75% were considered “probable” or “possible”; this proportion increased among participants diagnosed by a specialist (81.2%), taking PD medication (85.2%), or reporting ≥5 motor symptoms (86.8%) in a regular AHS survey. Of those with medical records, 93% (57 of 61) of probable or possible PD was confirmed. Never-smoking and non-motor and motor symptoms reported in prior AHS surveys were more common with probable/possible PD than unconfirmed PD. Conclusion In this retrospective PD case ascertainment effort, we found that PD self-report with information on motor symptoms or medications may be a reasonable alternative for identifying PD cases when physician exam is not feasible. Because of intervening mortality, screeners could not be obtained from about one-third of those contacted. Thus, findings warrant replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srishti Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christine G. Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | | | - Honglei Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Goldberg M, Ciesielski Jones AJ, McGrath JA, Barker-Cummings C, Cousins DS, Kipling LM, Meadows JW, Kesner JS, Marcus M, Monteilh C, Sandler DP. Urinary and salivary endocrine measurements to complement Tanner staging in studies of pubertal development. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251598. [PMID: 33984062 PMCID: PMC8118248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many studies investigating pubertal development use Tanner staging to assess maturation. Endocrine markers in urine and saliva may provide an objective, sensitive, and non-invasive method for assessing development. Objective Our objective was to examine whether changes in endocrine levels can indicate the onset of pubertal development prior to changes in self-rated Tanner stage. Methods Thirty-five girls and 42 boys aged 7 to 15 years were enrolled in the Growth and Puberty (GAP) study, a longitudinal pilot study conducted from 2007–2009 involving children of women enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) in Iowa. We collected saliva and urine samples and assessed pubertal development by self-rated Tanner staging (pubic hair, breast development (girls), genital development (boys)) at three visits over six months. We measured dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in saliva and creatinine-adjusted luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estrone 3-glucuronide (E13G) and pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (Pd3G) concentrations in first morning urine. We evaluated the relationships over time between Tanner stage and each biomarker using repeated measures analysis. Results Among girls still reporting Tanner breast stage 1 at the final visit, FSH levels increased over the 6-month follow-up period and were no longer lower than higher stage girls at the end of follow-up. We observed a similar pattern for testosterone in boys. By visit 3, boys still reporting Tanner genital stage 1 or pubic hair stage 1 had attained DHEA levels that were comparable to those among boys reporting Tanner stages 2 or 3. Conclusions Increasing concentrations of FSH in girls and DHEA and testosterone in boys over a 6-month period revealed the start of the pubertal process prior to changes in self-rated Tanner stage. Repeated, non-invasive endocrine measures may complement the more subjective assessment of physical markers in studies determining pubertal onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Goldberg
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MG); (DPS)
| | | | - John A. McGrath
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | | | - Deborah S. Cousins
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lauren M. Kipling
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Juliana W. Meadows
- Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - James S. Kesner
- Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Michele Marcus
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Departments of Environmental Health and Pediatrics, Emory University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Monteilh
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MG); (DPS)
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Opportunities and Possibilities of Developing an Advanced Precision Spraying System for Tree Fruits. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21093262. [PMID: 34066785 PMCID: PMC8125941 DOI: 10.3390/s21093262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Reducing risk from pesticide applications has been gaining serious attention in the last few decades due to the significant damage to human health, environment, and ecosystems. Pesticide applications are an essential part of current agriculture, enhancing cultivated crop productivity and quality and preventing losses of up to 45% of the world food supply. However, inappropriate and excessive use of pesticides is a major rising concern. Precision spraying addresses these concerns by precisely and efficiently applying pesticides to the target area and substantially reducing pesticide usage while maintaining efficacy at preventing crop losses. This review provides a systematic summary of current technologies used for precision spraying in tree fruits and highlights their potential, briefly discusses factors affecting spraying parameters, and concludes with possible solutions to reduce excessive agrochemical uses. We conclude there is a critical need for appropriate sensing techniques that can accurately detect the target. In addition, air jet velocity, travel speed, wind speed and direction, droplet size, and canopy characteristics need to be considered for successful droplet deposition by the spraying system. Assessment of terrain is important when field elevation has significant variability. Control of airflow during spraying is another important parameter that needs to be considered. Incorporation of these variables in precision spraying systems will optimize spray decisions and help reduce excessive agrochemical applications.
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Sikdar S, Wyss AB, Lee MK, Hoang TT, Richards M, Beane Freeman LE, Parks C, Thorne PS, Hankinson JL, Umbach DM, Motsinger-Reif A, London SJ. Interaction between Genetic Risk Scores for reduced pulmonary function and smoking, asthma and endotoxin. Thorax 2021; 76:1219-1226. [PMID: 33963087 PMCID: PMC8572320 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Rationale Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous loci associated with lower pulmonary function. Pulmonary function is strongly related to smoking and has also been associated with asthma and dust endotoxin. At the individual SNP level, genome-wide analyses of pulmonary function have not identified appreciable evidence for gene by environment interactions. Genetic Risk Scores (GRSs) may enhance power to identify gene–environment interactions, but studies are few. Methods We analysed 2844 individuals of European ancestry with 1000 Genomes imputed GWAS data from a case–control study of adult asthma nested within a US agricultural cohort. Pulmonary function traits were FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC. Using data from a recent large meta-analysis of GWAS, we constructed a weighted GRS for each trait by combining the top (p value<5×10−9) genetic variants, after clumping based on distance (±250 kb) and linkage disequilibrium (r2=0.5). We used linear regression, adjusting for relevant covariates, to estimate associations of each trait with its GRS and to assess interactions. Results Each trait was highly significantly associated with its GRS (all three p values<8.9×10−8). The inverse association of the GRS with FEV1/FVC was stronger for current smokers (pinteraction=0.017) or former smokers (pinteraction=0.064) when compared with never smokers and among asthmatics compared with non-asthmatics (pinteraction=0.053). No significant interactions were observed between any GRS and house dust endotoxin. Conclusions Evaluation of interactions using GRSs supports a greater impact of increased genetic susceptibility on reduced pulmonary function in the presence of smoking or asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinjini Sikdar
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.,Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Annah B Wyss
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mi Kyeong Lee
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thanh T Hoang
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Peter S Thorne
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | - David M Umbach
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alison Motsinger-Reif
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie J London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Coffman VR, Hall DJ, Pisanic N, Love DC, Nadimpalli M, McCormack M, Diener-West M, Davis MF, Heaney CD. Self-reported work activities, eye, nose, and throat symptoms, and respiratory health outcomes among an industrial hog operation worker cohort, North Carolina, USA. Am J Ind Med 2021; 64:403-413. [PMID: 33616247 PMCID: PMC8046736 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Respiratory disease among industrial hog operation (IHO) workers is well documented; however, it remains unclear whether specific work activities are more harmful and if personal protective equipment (PPE), as used by workers, can reduce adverse health outcomes. METHODS IHO workers (n = 103) completed baseline and up to eight bi-weekly study visits. Workers reported typical (baseline) and transient (bi-weekly) work activities, PPE use, and physical health symptoms. Baseline and longitudinal associations were assessed using generalized logistic and fixed-effects logistic regression models, respectively. RESULTS At baseline, reports of ever versus never drawing pig blood, applying pesticides, and increasing years worked at any IHO were positively associated with reports of eye, nose, and/or throat irritation. Over time, transient exposures, associated with dustiness in barns, cleaning of barns, and pig contact were associated with increased odds of sneezing, headache, and eye or nose irritation, particularly in the highest categories of exposure. When PPE was used, workers had lower odds of symptoms interfering with sleep (odds ratio [OR]: 0.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01-0.8), and eye or nose irritation (OR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.02-0.9). Similarly, when they washed their hands eight times or more per shift (median frequency) versus less frequently, the odds of any respiratory symptom were reduced (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-0.8). CONCLUSIONS In this healthy volunteer worker population, increasingly unfavorable IHO activities were associated with self-reported eye, nose, throat, and respiratory health symptoms. Strong protective associations were seen between PPE use and handwashing and the odds of symptoms, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa R Coffman
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Devon J Hall
- Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help (REACH), Warsaw, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nora Pisanic
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - David C Love
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Maya Nadimpalli
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
- Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Meredith McCormack
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marie Diener-West
- Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Meghan F Davis
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher D Heaney
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University Water Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Lerro CC, Hofmann JN, Andreotti G, Koutros S, Parks CG, Blair A, Albert PS, Lubin JH, Sandler DP, Beane Freeman LE. Dicamba use and cancer incidence in the agricultural health study: an updated analysis. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 49:1326-1337. [PMID: 32357211 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaa066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The herbicide dicamba has been commonly used agriculturally and residentially. Recent approval of genetically engineered dicamba-resistant crops is expected to lead to increased dicamba use, and there has been growing interest in potential human health effects. A prior analysis in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) suggested associations between dicamba and colon and lung cancer. We re-evaluated dicamba use in the AHS, including an additional 12 years and 2702 exposed cancers. METHODS The AHS is a prospective cohort of pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. At enrollment (1993-1997) and follow-up (1999-2005), participants reported dicamba use. Exposure was characterized by cumulative intensity-weighted lifetime days, including exposure lags of up to 20 years. We estimated relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using multivariable Poisson regression for incident cancers diagnosed from enrollment through 2014/2015. RESULTS Among 49 922 applicators, 26 412 (52.9%) used dicamba. Compared with applicators reporting no dicamba use, those in the highest quartile of exposure had elevated risk of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (nexposed = 28, RRQ4 = 1.80, CI: 1.26-2.56, Ptrend < 0.001) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL, nexposed = 93, RRQ4 = 1.20, CI: 0.96-1.50, Ptrend = 0.01) and decreased risk of myeloid leukaemia (nexposed = 55, RRQ4 = 0.73, CI: 0.51-1.03, Ptrend = 0.01). The associations for liver cancer and myeloid leukaemia remained after lagging exposure of up to 20 years. CONCLUSIONS With additional follow-up and exposure information, associations with lung and colon cancer were no longer apparent. In this first evaluation of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer, there was an association with increasing use of dicamba that persisted across lags of up to 20 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine C Lerro
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Gabriella Andreotti
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Stella Koutros
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Aaron Blair
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Paul S Albert
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jay H Lubin
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Laura E Beane Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
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