Epidemiological Studies - HH-RA.org

Bibliography Tag: epidemiological studies

Kaufman et al., 2009

Kaufman, D. W., Anderson, T. E., & Issaragrisil, S., “Risk factors for leukemia in Thailand,” Annals of Hematology, 2009, 88(11), 1079-1088. DOI: 10.1007/s00277-009-0731-9.

ABSTRACT:

A case-control study of adult-onset leukemia was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand to explore the contribution of cellular telephone use and other factors to the etiology of the disease; 180 cases (87 acute myeloblastic leukemia, 40 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 44 chronic myelogenous leukemia, eight chronic lymphocytic leukemia, one unclassified acute leukemia) were compared with 756 age- and sex-matched hospital controls. Data were obtained by interview; odds ratios (ORs) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression. There was no clear association with cellular telephone phone use, but durations were relatively short (median 24-26 months), and there was a suggestion that risk may be increased for those with certain usage practices (ORs, 1.8-3.0 with lower confidence intervals >1.0) and those who used GSM service (OR, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-4.0). Myeloid leukemia (acute and chronic combined) was associated with benzene (OR, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-11), a nonspecific group of other solvents (2.3; 1.1-4.9), occupational pesticides that were mostly unspecified (3.8; 2.1-7.1), and working with or near powerlines (4.3; 1.3-15). No associations were found for diagnostic X-rays, cigarette smoking, or other occupational exposures.

Karunanayake et al., 2008

Karunanayake, C. P., McDuffie, H. H., Dosman, J. A., Spinelli, J. J., & Pahwa, P., “Occupational exposures and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Canadian case-control study,” Environ Health, 2008, 7, 44. DOI: 10.1186/1476-069X-7-44.

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND: The objective was to study the association between Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and occupational exposures related to long held occupations among males in six provinces of Canada.

METHODS: A population based case-control study was conducted from 1991 to 1994. Males with newly diagnosed NHL (ICD-10) were stratified by province of residence and age group. A total of 513 incident cases and 1506 population based controls were included in the analysis. Conditional logistic regression was conducted to fit statistical models.

RESULTS: Based on conditional logistic regression modeling, the following factors independently increased the risk of NHL: farmer and machinist as long held occupations; constant exposure to diesel exhaust fumes; constant exposure to ionizing radiation (radium); and personal history of another cancer. Men who had worked for 20 years or more as farmer and machinist were the most likely to develop NHL.

CONCLUSION: An increased risk of developing NHL is associated with the following: long held occupations of faer and machinist; exposure to diesel fumes; and exposure to ionizing radiation (radium). The risk of NHL increased with the duration of employment as a farmer or machinist.

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Chang et al., 2018

Chang, S., Nazem, T. G., Gounko, D., Lee, J., Bar-Chama, N., Shamonki, J. M., Antonelli, C., & Copperman, A. B., “Eleven year longitudinal study of U.S. sperm donors demonstrates declining sperm count and motility,” Fertility and Sterility, 2018, 110(4), e54-e55. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.07.170.

ABSTRACT:

OBJECTIVE: Physicians and public health experts have been investigating whether there is evidence of deterioration in semen quality.1-3 Investigators who believe in a decline point to the concomitant increase in the incidence of genitourinary abnormalities.3-5 Others have focused on increased exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors and changes in diet and BMI. One obstacle to understanding male fertility is possible geographic variations in semen quality, which may be due to differences in climate, pollution, occupational exposure, lifestyle, and social habits. This study sought to evaluate semen quality in geographically diverse US sperm donors.

DESIGN: Retrospective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen analyses (SA) from 2007-2017 were examined. The sperm donors (ages 19-38) originated from Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Houston, Boston, Indianapolis and New York City. Total sperm count, average concentration and total motile count were analyzed as a whole and by region. Data was analyzed using a general estimate equation model with an exchangeable working correlation structure.

RESULTS: A total of 124,107 SA specimens were analyzed. Controlling for BMI, there was a decline in total sperm count (b¼-2.9, p<0.01), concentration (b¼-1.76, p<0.01) and total motile sperm count (b¼-2.45, p<0.01) over the 11-year study. There were decreases in SA parameters in all regions except New York City, which showed no change in total sperm count, concentration or total motile sperm count. Boston showed a decline in concentration and total motile sperm count but no difference in total sperm count.

CONCLUSIONS: Changes in our modern environment—chemical exposures or increasingly sedentary lifestyles—may negatively affect spermatogenesis. We demonstrated a time-related decline in semen quality. Given that donors have higher than average sperm counts, these trends would likely be magnified in the general population. If confirmed, these findings would serve as a public health warning, particularly with the simultaneous increase in other male disorders, including testicular cancer.5 The magnitude of semen quality decline varied by region, with only samples from New York City consistent throughout the study. To further investigate geographical differences, future prospective studies should investigate potential causes for this decline. Identifying modifiable risk factors is the first step in determining how to reverse these trend.

Pahwa et al., 2012

Pahwa, M., Harris, S. A., Hohenadel, K., McLaughlin, J. R., Spinelli, J. J., Pahwa, P., Dosman, J. A., & Blair, A., “Pesticide use, immunologic conditions, and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Canadian men in six provinces,” International Journal of Cancer, 2012, 131(11), 2650-2659. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.27522.

ABSTRACT:

Pesticide exposures and immune suppression have been independently associated with the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but their joint effect has not been well explored. Data from a case-control study of men from six Canadian provinces were used to evaluate the potential effect modification of asthma, allergies, or asthma and allergies and hay fever combined on NHL risk from use of: (i) any pesticide; (ii) any organochlorine insecticide; (iii) any organophosphate insecticide; (iv) any phenoxy herbicide; (v) selected individual pesticides [1,1′-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)bis[4-chlorobenzene]; 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT), malathion, (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA), mecoprop, and (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D); and (vi) from the number of potentially carcinogenic pesticides. Incident NHL cases (n = 513) diagnosed between 1991 and 1994 were recruited from provincial cancer registries and hospitalization records and compared to 1,506 controls. A stratified analysis was conducted to calculate odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, province, proxy respondent, and diesel oil exposure. Subjects with asthma, allergies, or hay fever had non-significantly elevated risks of NHL associated with use of MCPA (OR = 2.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-7.93) compared to subjects without any of these conditions (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.39-1.70). Conversely, those with asthma, allergies, or hay fever who reported use of malathion had lower risks of NHL (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.69-2.26) versus subjects with none of these conditions (OR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.65-3.61). Similar effects were observed for asthma and allergies evaluated individually. Although there were some leads regarding effect modification by these immunologic conditions on the association between pesticide use and NHL, small numbers, measurement error and possible recall bias limit interpretation of these results. FULL TEXT

von Ehrenstein et al., 2019

von Ehrenstein, O. S., Ling, C., Cui, X., Cockburn, M., Park, A. S., Yu, F., Wu, J., & Ritz, B., “Prenatal and infant exposure to ambient pesticides and autism spectrum disorder in children: population based case-control study,” BMJ, 2019, 364, l962. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l962.

ABSTRACT:

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between early developmental exposure to ambient pesticides and autism spectrum disorder.

DESIGN: Population based case-control study.

SETTING: California’s main agricultural region, Central Valley, using 1998-2010 birth data from the Office of Vital Statistics.

POPULATION: 2961 individuals with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, revised (up to 31 December 2013), including 445 with intellectual disability comorbidity, were identified through records maintained at the California Department of Developmental Services and linked to their birth records. Controls derived from birth records were matched to cases 10:1 by sex and birth year.

EXPOSURE: Data from California state mandated Pesticide Use Reporting were integrated into a geographic information system tool to estimate prenatal and infant exposures to pesticides (measured as pounds of pesticides applied per acre/month within 2000 m from the maternal residence). 11 high use pesticides were selected for examination a priori according to previous evidence of neurodevelopmental toxicity in vivo or in vitro (exposure defined as ever v never for each pesticide during specific developmental periods).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using multivariable logistic regression were used to assess associations between pesticide exposure and autism spectrum disorder (with or without intellectual disabilities) in offspring, adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS: Risk of autism spectrum disorder was associated with prenatal exposure to glyphosate (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.27), chlorpyrifos (1.13, 1.05 to 1.23), diazinon (1.11, 1.01 to 1.21), malathion (1.11, 1.01 to 1.22), avermectin (1.12, 1.04 to 1.22), and permethrin (1.10, 1.01 to 1.20). For autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability, estimated odds ratios were higher (by about 30%) for prenatal exposure to glyphosate (1.33, 1.05 to 1.69), chlorpyrifos (1.27, 1.04 to 1.56), diazinon (1.41, 1.15 to 1.73), permethrin (1.46, 1.20 to 1.78), methyl bromide (1.33, 1.07 to 1.64), and myclobutanil (1.32, 1.09 to 1.60); exposure in the first year of life increased the odds for the disorder with comorbid intellectual disability by up to 50% for some pesticide substances.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that an offspring’s risk of autism spectrum disorder increases following prenatal exposure to ambient pesticides within 2000 m of their mother’s residence during pregnancy, compared with offspring of women from the same agricultural region without such exposure. Infant exposure could further increase risks for autism spectrum disorder with comorbid intellectual disability. FULL TEXT

Zhang et al., 2019a

Zhang, Luoping, Rana, Iemaan, Shaffer, Rachel M., Taioli, Emanuela, & Sheppard, Lianne, “Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicides and Risk for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Meta-Analysis and Supporting Evidence,” Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, In Press, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2019.02.001.

ABSTRACT:

Glyphosate is the most widely used broad-spectrum systemic herbicide in the world. Recent evaluations of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) by various regional, national, and international agencies have engendered controversy. We investigated whether there was an association between high cumulative exposures to GBHs and increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in humans. We conducted a new meta-analysis that included the most recent update of the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) cohort published in 2018 along with five case-control studies. Using the highest exposure groups when available in each study, we report the overall meta-relative risk (meta-RR) of NHL in GBH-exposed individuals was increased by 41% (meta-RR = 1.41, 95% CI, confidence interval: 1.13–1.75). For comparison, we also performed a secondary meta-analysis using high-exposure groups with the earlier AHS (2005), and we determined a meta-RR for NHL of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.11–1.91), which was higher than the meta-RRs reported previously. Multiple sensitivity tests conducted to assess the validity of our findings did not reveal meaningful differences from our primary estimated meta-RR. To contextualize our findings of an increased NHL risk in individuals with high GBH exposure, we reviewed available animal and mechanistic studies, which provided supporting evidence for the carcinogenic potential of GBH. We documented further support from studies of malignant lymphoma incidence in mice treated with pure glyphosate, as well as potential links between GBH exposure and immunosuppression, endocrine disruption, and genetic alterations that are commonly associated with NHL. Overall, in accordance with evidence from experimental animal and mechanistic studies, our current meta-analysis of human epidemiological studies suggests a compelling link between exposures to GBHs and increased risk for NHL. FULL TEXT

Ward, 2018

Ward, E. M., “Glyphosate Use and Cancer Incidence in the Agricultural Health Study: An Epidemiologic Perspective,” Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2018, 110(5), 446-447. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djx247.

ABSTRACT:

Not Available. FULL TEXT

Martin et al., 2018

Martin, F. L., Martinez, E. Z., Stopper, H., Garcia, S. B., Uyemura, S. A., & Kannen, V., “Increased exposure to pesticides and colon cancer: Early evidence in Brazil,” Chemosphere, 2018, 209, 623-631. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.06.118.

ABSTRACT:

Environmental factors may increase colon cancer (CC) risk. It has been suggested that pesticides could play a significant role in the etiology of this malignancy. As agriculture is one of the mainstays of the Brazilian economy, this country has become the largest pesticides consumer worldwide. The CC burden is also increasing in Brazil. Herein, we examined data from the Brazilian Federal Government to determine whether CC mortality and pesticide consumption may be associated. Database of the Ministry of Health provided CC mortality data in Brazil, while pesticide usage was accessed at the website of Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. The CC mortality in the Brazilian states was calculated as standard mortality rates (SMR). All Bayesian analysis was performed using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method in WinBUGS software. We observed that CC mortality has exhibited a steady increase for more than a decade, which correlated with the amount of sold pesticides in the country. Both observations are concentrated in the Southern and the Southeast regions of Brazil. Although ecological studies like ours have methodological limitations, the current dataset suggests the possibility that pesticide exposure may be a risk factor for CC. It warrants further investigation.

Bell et al., 2006

Bell, E.M., Sandler, D. P., & Alavanja, M. C., “High Pesticide Exposure Events Among Farmers and Spouses Enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study.” Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 2006, 12(2), 101-116.

ABSTRACT:

We completed a nested case-control analysis of factors associated with reporting a high pesticide exposure event (HPEE) by pesticide applicators and spouses during the five years since enrollment in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). Cases and controls were identified from the 16,415 private pesticide applicators and 14,045 spouses with completed five-year follow-up interviews as of October 2000. Among the applicators, 306 cases with at least one HPEE in the five years since enrollment and 612 controls, randomly selected from those without a reported HPEE, were identified for analysis. Among the spouses, 63 cases were identified and 126 controls were selected. Risk for a new HPEE was increased among applicators reporting at enrollment ever having an HPEE with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.8 (95% CI: 2.7, 5.3). Compared to applicators who applied pesticides fewer than 5 days per year, the ORs ranged from 1.4 (95% CI: 0.9, 2.2) for 6 to 10 days per year to 2.2 (95% CI: 1.4, 3.6) for more than 20 application days per year. The incidence of HPEE among Iowa applicators was much greater (8.8/1000 applicators) than among North Carolina applicators (2.0/1000). Spouses reported fewer HPEEs compared to applicators (2/1000 spouses). Overall, the observed risk factors for new HPEEs among applicators are similar to risk factors observed in previous cross-sectional analyses of HPEE history. Further, only 13% of applicators and 22% of spouses with symptoms resulting from HPEE sought medical care, suggesting that pesticide poisoning surveillance data may seriously underreport the frequency of such events. FULL TEXT

Payne et al., 2012

Payne, K, Andreotti, G., Bell, E., Blair, A., Coble, J., & Alavanja, M., “Determinants of high pesticide exposure events in the agricultural health cohort study from enrollment (1993-1997) through phase II (1999-2003),” Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 2012, 18(3), 167-179.

ABSTRACT:

We conducted an analysis of the determinants of high pesticide exposure events (HPEEs), which are defined as self-reported incidents of high exposure to pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals in the Agricultural Health Study, a cohort of private applicators and their spouses residing in North Carolina or Iowa, and commercial applicators residing in Iowa. We examined the risk of HPEEs occurring between enrollment (phase 1: 1993-1997) and follow-up (phase II: 1999-2003) among participants who completed the phase II questionnaire (n=43,149) by calculating hazard rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals using Cox proportional-hazard regression. During the followup period, 1,582 HPEEs were reported (3.8%). HPEE risk was significantly higher among Iowa residents, younger participants, those with a hearing deficit, a risk-taking personality, and an HPEE prior to enrollment. Among private applicators (n=30,102), larger farm size, higher frequency and duration of pesticide use, spraying pesticides with open cab windows, using a tractor cab without a charcoal filter, repairing spray equipment, wearing work clothing more than two days without changing, not removing work boots before entering the home, and storing pesticides in the home were associated with significantly higher HPEE risk. Among commercial applicators (n=2326), higher frequency of pesticide use was associated with a significantly higher HPEE risk. Among spouses (n=10,721), higher frequency of pesticide use, using an application vehicle with a cab, and storing pesticides in the home were associated with a significantly higher HPEE risk. Our findings indicate that HPEEs were associated with several modifiable pesticide handling procedures that can be targeted in safety training and education. FULL TEXT

Bibliography Index