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Systematic reviews are powerful tools for drawing causal inference for evidence-based decision-making. Published systematic reviews and meta-analyses of environmental and occupational epidemiology studies have increased dramatically in recent years; however, the quality and utility of published reviews are variable. Most methodologies were adapted from clinical epidemiology and have not been adequately modified to evaluate and integrate evidence from observational epidemiology studies assessing environmental and occupational hazards, especially in evaluating the quality of exposure assessments. Although many reviews conduct a systematic and transparent assessment for the potential for bias, they are often deficient in subsequently integrating across a body of evidence. A cohesive review considers the impact of the direction and magnitude of potential biases on the results, systematically evaluates important scientific issues such as study sensitivity and effect modifiers, identifies how different studies complement each other, and assesses other potential sources of heterogeneity. Given these challenges of conducting informative systematic reviews of observational studies, we provide a series of specific recommendations based on practical examples for cohesive evidence integration to reach an overall conclusion on a body of evidence to better support policy making in public health.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and several university programs have collaborated on a large effort to expand and improve occupational safety and health content in Wikipedia using a platform developed by Wiki Education. This article describes the initiative, student contributions, and evaluations of this effort by instructors from two universities between 2016 and 2020. The Wiki Education platform allowed instructors to set timelines and track students’ progress throughout the semester while students accessed training to best expand health content in Wikipedia. Students chose topics in occupational health based on their interests and by a set of topics deemed as a priority by the “WikiProject Occupational Safety and Health.” Students’ contributions were peer-reviewed by instructors, NIOSH Wikipedians-in-Residence, and traditional Wikipedians. Students presented their projects in class at the end of the semester. Students from both schools expanded 55 articles, created 8 new articles, and translated 2 articles to Spanish, adding 1270 references; these articles were viewed over 8 million times by May 2020. Feedback received from the implementation suggested that students learned about science communication and digital literacy—providing valuable content on occupational health while reducing misinformation in the public domain. The process of identifying and addressing gaps in occupational health in Wikipedia requires participation and engagement toward improving access to information that otherwise would be restricted to the scientific literature, often behind a paywall. The Wikipedia assignment proved to be an engaging approach for instruction and information literacy. It helped students improve their science communication skills and digital literacy, tools that are likely to be critical for successful communication of science in their future careers.

BACKGROUND. Elevated bladder cancer incidence has been reported in a cohort of 1,875 workers manufacturing chemicals used in the rubber industry and employed any time during 1946–2006. ortho-Toluidine (OT), an aromatic amine, was the prime suspect agent. Using the available environmental data and process characterization, previous investigators assigned ranks to volatile chemical air concentrations across time in departments and jobs, reflecting probabilities of exposure and use of personal protective equipment for airborne and dermal exposures. Aniline, another aromatic amine, was present at comparable concentrations and is known to be an animal carcinogen but produced lower levels in post-shift urine and of hemoglobin adducts than OT in a group of workers. METHODS. A quantitative risk assessment was performed based on this same population. In this work, cumulative OT exposures were estimated a) based on previously assigned ranks of exposure intensity and reported actual exposures in jobs with the highest assigned rank, and b) directly from the historical environmental sampling for OT. Models of bladder cancer incidence were evaluated taking into account possible healthy worker survivor effects. RESULTS. Under various assumptions regarding workforce turnover, the excess lifetime risk of bladder cancer from OT exposure at 1 ppb was estimated to be in the range 1–7 per thousand. CONCLUSIONS. The current ACGIH TLV and OSHA standards for OT are 2 ppm and 5 ppm, respectively, one thousand-fold higher than the exposure estimated here for 1–7 per thousand excess lifetime risk.

The federally mandated World Trade Center Health Program provides limited health benefits for qualifying health conditions related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A qualifying health condition is an illness or health condition for which the member's exposure to airborne toxins, any other hazard, or any other adverse condition resulting from the 9/11 terrorist attacks is considered substantially likely to be a significant factor in aggravating, contributing to, or causing the illness or health condition. These qualifying health conditions are listed in federal regulations. The regulations also provide a process for amending this list. This commentary describes the methods developed for adding health conditions to the list of qualifying health conditions and discusses changes to the list that have occurred during the Program's 2011–2020 period.

The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 potentially exposed more than 400,000 responders, workers, and residents to psychological and physical stressors, and numerous hazardous pollutants. In 2011, the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) was mandated to monitor and treat persons with 9/11-related adverse health conditions and conduct research on physical and mental health conditions related to the attacks. Emerging evidence suggests that persons exposed to 9/11 may be at increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. To investigate further, the WTCHP convened a scientific workshop that examined the natural history of cognitive aging and impairment, biomarkers in the pathway of neurodegenerative diseases, the neuropathological changes associated with hazardous exposures, and the evidence of cognitive decline and impairment in the 9/11-exposed population. Invited participants included scientists actively involved in health-effects research of 9/11-exposed persons and other at-risk populations. Attendees shared relevant research results from their respective programs and discussed several options for enhancements to research and surveillance activities, including the development of a multi-institutional collaborative research network. The goal of this report is to outline the meeting’s agenda and provide an overview of the presentation materials and group discussion.

Understanding the influence someone’s job or career has on their health goes beyond the physical, emotional and social hazards, risks and conditions that they face at work. One’s job or career also exerts a significant influence over other aspects of life that contribute or detract from their health and that of their family. Work is the major incentive for Latin American migration to the United States. Latino immigrants experience increasingly poorer outcomes for physical health and chronic diseases the longer they remain in the U.S. The strong link between work and immigration suggests that, for many Latin Americans, immigration can be understood as a career path which puts them, and their family members, in situations that can change their physical, emotional, and social health as a condition of their employment. Given the large number of Latin Americans who emigrate for work, it is essential that the unique physical, mental and social impacts of emigration are accounted for when working with clients impacted by emigration at the individual, family and community level as well as those social workers practicing at the system level. This paper is a literature review that explores the impact that emigrating for work has on the health of those that emigrate and their family members that stay behind.

The tumor-associated antigen epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in 40%–60% of patients with malignant gliomas, the most common type of primary brain tumor, which is mostly incurable. EGFR amplification is frequently accompanied by an intragenic rearrangement that produces EGFR variant (v)III, which is tumor specific. Amplification and overexpression of both EGFR and EGFRvIII has been shown to be associated with worse prognosis in glioma patients.1 These observations have made EGFR an attractive target for both active (vaccine) and passive (antibody) immunotherapies against gliomas.2,3 Identification and understanding of the putative host genetic factors that might influence the magnitude of naturally occurring immune responses to EGFR and EGFRvIII is an important prerequisite to successfully designing vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against gliomas. This knowledge would also be important for a proper evaluation of vaccine efficacy trials. Thus, some people could be naturally high responders to EGFR and EGFRvIII, while others could be low responders. A lack of understanding of the host genetic factors involved in EGFR/EGFRvIII immunity hinders effective immunological intervention in glioblastoma and confounds the evaluation of ongoing vaccine efficacy trials. Immunoglobulin γ marker (GM) and κ marker (KM) allotypes, hereditary antigenic determinants of γ and κ chains, respectively,4,5 have been shown to be associated with immune responsiveness to a variety of antigens—infectious agents, vaccines, autoantigens, including some tumor-associated antigens5–11—but their possible contribution to immunity to EGFR and EGFRvIII has not been evaluated. The importance of Ig genes and humoral immunity in the pathogenesis of solid tumors has been underscored by a recent comprehensive analysis of human gene expression.12 This analysis identified the Ig κ constant (IGKC) gene as a strong prognostic marker in human solid tumors, providing a compelling rationale for investigating the role of KM alleles, genetic variants of IGKC, in the immunopathogenesis of these tumors. It is known that Fcγ receptor (FcγR)–mediated uptake of antigen-antibody complexes can enhance antigen presentation, which provides a good rationale for investigating the role of FcγR genotypes in humoral immunity to EGFR and EGFRvIII. Thus, different FcγR genotypes (of antigen presenting cells) could differentially influence the uptake of IgG opsonized EGFR antigens for presentation to helper T cells, resulting in antigen-specific B-cell activation. FcγR genotypes have been shown to be associated with the magnitude of humoral immunity to some tumor-associated antigens.13 The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether the magnitude of antibody responsiveness to EGFR and EGFRvIII was associated with particular GM, KM, and FcγR genotypes and whether antibody levels were associated with the overall survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). We found that antibody responsiveness to both EGFR and EGFRvIII was associated with particular GM alleles, and higher antibody levels correlated with longer survival.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped risk alleles for at least 10 distinct cancers to a small region of 63 000 bp on chromosome 5p15.33. This region harbors the TERT and CLPTM1L genes; the former encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase reverse transcriptase and the latter may play a role in apoptosis. To investigate further the genetic architecture of common susceptibility alleles in this region, we conducted an agnostic subset-based meta-analysis (association analysis based on subsets) across six distinct cancers in 34 248 cases and 45 036 controls. Based on sequential conditional analysis, we identified as many as six independent risk loci marked by common single-nucleotide polymorphisms: five in the TERT gene (Region 1: rs7726159, P = 2.10 x 10(-39); Region 3: rs2853677, P = 3.30 x 10(-36) and PConditional = 2.36 x 10(-8); Region 4: rs2736098, P = 3.87 x 10(-12) and PConditional = 5.19 x 10(-6), Region 5: rs13172201, P = 0.041 and PConditional = 2.04 x 10(-6); and Region 6: rs10069690, P = 7.49 x 10(-15) and PConditional = 5.35 x 10(-7)) and one in the neighboring CLPTM1L gene (Region 2: rs451360; P = 1.90 x 10(-18) and PConditional = 7.06 x 10(-16)). Between three and five cancers mapped to each independent locus with both risk-enhancing and protective effects. Allele-specific effects on DNA methylation were seen for a subset of risk loci, indicating that methylation and subsequent effects on gene expression may contribute to the biology of risk variants on 5p15.33. Our results provide strong support for extensive pleiotropy across this region of 5p15.33, to an extent not previously observed in other cancer susceptibility loci.

Background We updated through 2007 the mortality experience of 1,874 workers employed at a New York State chemical manufacturing plant between 1946 and 2006. Methods Reassessed exposures to vinyl chloride, carbon disulfide, and shift work and categories of o-toluidine exposure were based on year, department and job title. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) compared mortality to that of the US population. Internal comparisons used directly standardized rate ratios. Results Hepatobiliary cancer mortality was elevated among workers ever exposed to vinyl chloride (SMR = 3.80, 95% confidence interval 1.89–6.80); directly standardized rates increased with increasing vinyl chloride exposure duration. No increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality was observed with vinyl chloride and shift work exposures. Internal comparisons showed increased coronary artery disease mortality among long-term workers exposed to carbon disulfide and shift work for 4 years or more. Conclusions Excess coronary artery disease mortality confirms earlier results; further investigation is needed to understand risk factors. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:398–411, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background: Brain glioma is a relatively rare and fatal malignancy in adulthood with few known risk factors. Some observational studies have reported inverse associations between diabetes and subsequent glioma risk, but possible mechanisms are unclear. Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of original data from five nested case–control studies and two case–control studies from the United States and China that included 962 glioma cases and 2,195 controls. We examined self-reported diabetes history in relation to glioma risk, as well as effect modification by seven glioma risk-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). We also examined the associations between 13 diabetes risk-associated SNPs, identified from genome-wide association studies, and glioma risk. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Results: We observed a 42% reduced risk of glioma for individuals with a history of diabetes (OR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40–0.84). The association did not differ by sex, study design, or after restricting to glioblastoma, the most common histological subtype. We did not observe any significant per-allele trends among the 13 diabetes-related SNPs examined in relation to glioma risk. Conclusion: These results support an inverse association between diabetes history and glioma risk. The role of genetic susceptibility to diabetes cannot be excluded, and should be pursued in future studies together with other factors that might be responsible for the diabetes–glioma association. Impact: These data suggest the need for studies that can evaluate, separately, the association between type 1 and type 2 diabetes and subsequent risk of adult glioma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(1); 47–54. ©2013 AACR.

Background An earlier investigation found increased bladder cancer incidence among workers at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant that used o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene. The cohort was expanded to include additional workers (n=1875) and updated through 2007 to assess bladder cancer with improved exposure characterisation. Methods Work histories were updated and exposure categories and ranks were developed for o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene combined. Incident cancers were identified by linkage to six state cancer registries. Residency in time-dependent cancer registry catchment areas was determined. SIR and standardised rate ratios for bladder cancer were calculated by exposure category and cumulative rank quartiles for different lag periods. Cox regression was used to model bladder cancer incidence with estimated cumulative rank, adjusting for confounders. Indirect methods were used to control for smoking. Results Excess bladder cancer was observed compared to the New York State population (SIR=2.87, 95% CI 2.02 to 3.96), with higher elevations among workers definitely exposed (moderate/high) (SIR=3.90, 95% CI 2.57 to 5.68), and in the highest cumulative rank quartile (SIR=6.13, 95% CI 2.80 to 11.6, 10-year lag). Bladder cancer rates increased significantly with estimated cumulative rank (10-year lag). Smoking only accounted for an estimated 8% elevation in bladder cancer incidence. Conclusions Bladder cancer incidence remains elevated in this cohort and significantly associated with estimated cumulative exposure. Results are consistent with earlier findings in this and other cohorts. Despite other concurrent chemical exposures, we consider o-toluidine most likely responsible for the bladder cancer incidence elevation and recommend a re-examination of occupational exposure limits.

Epidemiologic evidence in humans for a link between shift work and cancer remains inconclusive, despite renewed interest in the subject subsequent to the International Agency for Research on Cancer classification of shift work involving circadian rhythm disruption as a probable carcinogen (group 2A) in 2007. In this study, we reviewed ongoing or recently completed population-based prospective cohort studies of cancer risk factors in adults to evaluate the data collected on occupation, including work schedules and shift work, and the use of these data in the assessment of cancer risk. We also recorded information collected on lifestyle factors that may be associated with cancer or modify risks associated with shift work. Fifty-three cohorts were identified using the National Cancer Institute Cohort Consortium Membership list, pooled studies that used prospective population-based cohorts, and a NIH RePORTER database search. Publications with cancer-specific outcomes were identified using publication lists on cohort websites, searches in journal databases such as PubMed and Scopus, and citation tracking from previously found publications. Questionnaires from 45 cohorts and 3,393 publications that met inclusion criteria were reviewed; principal investigators of each cohort were contacted to corroborate the information abstracted. Twenty-four cohorts collected occupational histories and thirteen have obtained information on shift work, including duration (77%), intensity (46%), and rotating shift schedules (85%). Eighteen publications from six cohorts have investigated associations between shift work and breast, ovarian, uterine, lung, colorectal, prostate, or pancreatic cancers. Relatively few reviewed studies have investigated the relationship between shift work and cancer. We are exploring opportunities to collaborate in studies by analysing existing data or by collecting information on occupation, work schedules, and shift work in studies that are still following up study participants, to further scientific knowledge of the role of shift work in cancer.

To investigate large structural clonal mosaicism of chromosome X, we analysed the SNP microarray intensity data of 38,303 women from cancer genome-wide association studies (20,878 cases and 17,425 controls) and detected 124 mosaic X events >2 Mb in 97 (0.25%) women. Here we show rates for X-chromosome mosaicism are four times higher than mean autosomal rates; X mosaic events more often include the entire chromosome and participants with X events more likely harbour autosomal mosaic events. X mosaicism frequency increases with age (0.11% in 50-year olds; 0.45% in 75-year olds), as reported for Y and autosomes. Methylation array analyses of 33 women with X mosaicism indicate events preferentially involve the inactive X chromosome. Our results provide further evidence that the sex chromosomes undergo mosaic events more frequently than autosomes, which could have implications for understanding the underlying mechanisms of mosaic events and their possible contribution to risk for chronic diseases., It is unclear how often genetic mosaicism of chromosome X arises. Here, the authors examine women with cancer and cancer-free controls and show that X chromosome mosaicism occurs more frequently than on autosomes, especially on the inactive X chromosome, but is not linked to non-haematologic cancer risk

Familial cancer can be used to leverage genetic association studies. Recent genome-wide association studies have reported independent associations between seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and risk of glioma. The aim of this study was to investigate whether glioma cases with a positive family history of brain tumours, defined as having at least one first- or second-degree relative with a history of brain tumour, are associated with known glioma risk loci. One thousand four hundred and thirty-one glioma cases and 2,868 cancer-free controls were identified from four case-control studies and two prospective cohorts from USA, Sweden and Denmark and genotyped for seven SNPs previously reported to be associated with glioma risk in case-control designed studies. Odds ratios were calculated by unconditional logistic regression. In analyses including glioma cases with a family history of brain tumours (n = 104) and control subjects free of glioma at baseline, three of seven SNPs were associated with glioma risk: rs2736100 (5p15.33, TERT), rs4977756 (9p21.3, CDKN2A-CDKN2B) and rs6010620 (20q13.33, RTEL1). After Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, only one marker was statistically significantly associated with glioma risk, rs6010620 (ORtrend for the minor (A) allele, 0.39; 95% CI: 0.25-0.61; Bonferroni adjusted ptrend , 1.7 × 10(-4) ). In conclusion, as previously shown for glioma regardless of family history of brain tumours, rs6010620 (RTEL1) was associated with an increased risk of glioma when restricting to cases with family history of brain tumours. These findings require confirmation in further studies with a larger number of glioma cases with a family history of brain tumours.

Objectives Occupational exposure to chlorinated aliphatic solvents has been associated with an increased cancer risk, including brain cancer. However, many of these solvents remain in active, large-volume use. We evaluated glioma risk from non-farm occupational exposure (ever/never and estimated cumulative exposure) to any of the six chlorinated solvents—carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene or 1,1,1-trichloroethane—among 798 cases and 1175 population-based controls, aged 18–80 years and non-metropolitan residents of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Methods Solvent use was estimated based on occupation, industry and era, using a bibliographic database of published exposure levels and exposure determinants. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs adjusted for frequency matching variables age group and sex, and age and education. Additional analyses were limited to 904 participants who donated blood specimens (excluding controls reporting a previous diagnosis of cancer) genotyped for glutathione- S -transferases GSTP1, GSTM3 and GSTT1 . Individuals with functional GST genes might convert chlorinated solvents crossing the blood–brain barrier into cytotoxic metabolites. Results Both estimated cumulative exposure (ppm-years) and ever exposure to chlorinated solvents were associated with decreased glioma risk and were statistically significant overall and for women. In analyses comparing participants with a high probability of exposure with the unexposed, no associations were statistically significant. Solvent-exposed participants with functional GST genes were not at increased risk of glioma. Conclusions We observed no associations of glioma risk and chlorinated solvent exposure. Large pooled studies are needed to explore the interaction of genetic pathways and environmental and occupational exposures in glioma aetiology.

Gliomas account for approximately 80% of all primary malignant brain tumors and, despite improvements in clinical care over the last 20years, remain among the most lethal tumors, underscoring the need for gaining new insights that could translate into clinical advances. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified seven new susceptibility regions. We conducted a new independent GWAS of glioma using 1,856 cases and 4,955 controls (from 14 cohort studies, 3 case-control studies, and 1 population-based case-only study) and found evidence of strong replication for three of the seven previously reported associations at 20q13.33 (RTEL), 5p15.33 (TERT), and 9p21.3 (CDKN2BAS), and consistent association signals for the remaining four at 7p11.2 (EGFR both loci), 8q24.21 (CCDC26) and 11q23.3 (PHLDB1). The direction and magnitude of the signal were consistent for samples from cohort and case-control studies, but the strength of the association was more pronounced for loci rs6010620 (20q,13.33; RTEL) and rs2736100 (5p15.33, TERT) in cohort studies despite the smaller number of cases in this group, likely due to relatively more higher grade tumors being captured in the cohort studies. We further examined the 85 most promising single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers identified in our study in three replication sets (5,015 cases and 11,601 controls), but no new markers reached genome-wide significance. Our findings suggest that larger studies focusing on novel approaches as well as specific tumor subtypes or subgroups will be required to identify additional common susceptibility loci for glioma risk.

Background Understanding glioma etiology requires determining which environmental factors are associated with glioma. Upper Midwest Health Study case–control participant work histories collected 1995–1998 were evaluated for occupational associations with glioma. “Exposures of interest” from our study protocol comprise our a priori hypotheses. Materials and Methods Year-long or longer jobs for 1,973 participants were assigned Standard Occupational Classifications (SOC) and Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC). The analysis file includes 8,078 SIC- and SOC-coded jobs. For each individual, SAS 9.2 programs collated employment with identical SIC-SOC coding. Distributions of longest “total employment duration” (total years worked in jobs with identical industry and occupation codes, including multiple jobs, and non-consecutive jobs) were compared between cases and controls, using an industrial hygiene algorithm to group occupations. Results Longest employment duration was calculated for 780 cases and 1,156 controls. More case than control longest total employment duration was in the “engineer, architect” occupational group [16 cases, 10 controls, odds ratio (OR) 2.50, adjusted for age group, sex, age and education, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–5.60]. Employment as a food processing worker [mostly butchers and meat cutters] was of borderline significance (27 cases, 21 controls, adjusted OR: 1.78, CI: 0.99–3.18). Conclusions Among our exposures of interest work as engineers or as butchers and meat cutters was associated with increased glioma risk. Significant associations could be due to chance, because of multiple comparisons, but similar findings have been reported for other glioma studies. Our results suggest some possible associations but by themselves could not provide conclusive evidence. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:747–755, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Objectives There are some common occupational agents and exposure circumstances for which evidence of carcinogenicity is substantial but not yet conclusive for humans. Our objectives were to identify research gaps and needs for 20 agents prioritized for review based on evidence of widespread human exposures and potential carcinogenicity in animals or humans. Data sources For each chemical agent (or category of agents), a systematic review was conducted of new data published since the most recent pertinent International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monograph meeting on that agent. Data extraction Reviewers were charged with identifying data gaps and general and specific approaches to address them, focusing on research that would be important in resolving classification uncertainties. An expert meeting brought reviewers together to discuss each agent and the identified data gaps and approaches. Data synthesis Several overarching issues were identified that pertained to multiple agents; these included the importance of recognizing that carcinogenic agents can act through multiple toxicity pathways and mechanisms, including epigenetic mechanisms, oxidative stress, and immuno- and hormonal modulation. Conclusions Studies in occupational populations provide important opportunities to understand the mechanisms through which exogenous agents cause cancer and intervene to prevent human exposure and/or prevent or detect cancer among those already exposed. Scientific developments are likely to increase the challenges and complexities of carcinogen testing and evaluation in the future, and epidemiologic studies will be particularly critical to inform carcinogen classification and risk assessment processes.

We confirmed strong association of rs78378222:AC (per allele odds ratio [OR] = 3.14; P = 6.48 × 10(-11) ), a germline rare single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TP53, via imputation of a genome-wide association study of glioma (1,856 cases and 4,955 controls). We subsequently performed integrative analyses on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data for GBM (glioblastoma multiforme) and LUAD (lung adenocarcinoma). Based on SNP data, we imputed genotypes for rs78378222 and selected individuals carrying rare risk allele (C). Using RNA sequencing data, we observed aberrant transcripts with ∼3 kb longer than normal for those individuals. Using exome sequencing data, we further showed that loss of haplotype carrying common protective allele (A) occurred somatically in GBM but not in LUAD. Our bioinformatic analysis suggests rare risk allele (C) disrupts mRNA termination, and an allelic loss of a genomic region harboring common protective allele (A) occurs during tumor initiation or progression for glioma.

The exposome has been defined as the totality of exposures individuals experience over the course of their lives and how those exposures affect health. Three domains of the exposome have been identified: internal, specific external, and general external. Internal factors are those that are unique to the individual, and specific external factors include occupational exposures and lifestyle factors. The general external domain includes sociodemographic factors such as educational level and financial status. Eliciting information on the exposome is daunting and not feasible at present; the undertaking may never be fully realized. A variety of tools have been identified to measure the exposome. Biomarker measurements will be one of the major tools in exposomic studies. However, exposure data can also be obtained from other sources such as sensors, geographic information systems, and conventional tools such as survey instruments. Proof-of-concept studies are being conducted that show the promise of exposomic investigation and the integration of different kinds of data. The inherent value of exposomic data in epidemiologic studies is that they can provide greater understanding of the relationships among a broad range of chemical and other risk factors and health conditions and ultimately lead to more effective and efficient disease prevention and control.

Analyses of genome-wide association study (GWAS) data have revealed that detectable genetic mosaicism involving large (>2 Mb) structural autosomal alterations occurs in a fraction of individuals. We present results for a set of 24,849 genotyped individuals (total GWAS set II [TGSII]) in whom 341 large autosomal abnormalities were observed in 168 (0.68%) individuals. Merging data from the new TGSII set with data from two prior reports (the Gene-Environment Association Studies and the total GWAS set I) generated a large dataset of 127,179 individuals; we then conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the patterns of detectable autosomal mosaicism (n = 1,315 events in 925 [0.73%] individuals). Restricting to events >2 Mb in size, we observed an increase in event frequency as event size decreased. The combined results underscore that the rate of detectable mosaicism increases with age (p value = 5.5 × 10(-31)) and is higher in men (p value = 0.002) but lower in participants of African ancestry (p value = 0.003). In a subset of 47 individuals from whom serial samples were collected up to 6 years apart, complex changes were noted over time and showed an overall increase in the proportion of mosaic cells as age increased. Our large combined sample allowed for a unique ability to characterize detectable genetic mosaicism involving large structural events and strengthens the emerging evidence of non-random erosion of the genome in the aging population. Some individuals, studies, and centers received individual support. The grant numbers are: Addiction (U01HG004422, NIAAA: U10AA008401, NCI: P01CA089392, NIDA: R01DA013423, R01DA019963); Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (U.S. Public Health Service contracts: N01-CN-45165, N01-RC-45035, N01-RC-37004, NCI contract: HHSN261201000006C); Birth weight (U01HG004415); Blood clotting (R37 HL 039693); Broad Center for Genotyping and Analysis (U01HG04424); Cancer Prevention Study-II (American Cancer Society); Center for Inherited Disease Research (U01HG004438, HHSN268200782096C); Cleft lip/palate (NIDCR: U01DE018993 and R01DE016148, NIH contract: HHSN268200782096C); Dental Caries (NIDCR:U01DE018903 and R01DE014899, NIH CIDR contract: HHSN268200-782096C); Endometrial cancer (R01 CA134958); Fudan Lung Cancer Study (Ministry of Health (201002007); Ministry of Science and Technology (2011BAI09B00); National S&T Major Special Project (2011ZX09102-010-01); China National High-Tech Research and Development Program (2012AA02A517, 2012AA02A518); National Science Foundation of China (30890034); National Basic Research Program (2012CB944600); Scientific and Technological Support Plans from Jiangsu Province (BE2010715)); Gene-Environment Association Studies (Coordinating Center :U01 HG004446, Manuscript preparation: P01-GM099568); Genes and Environment in Lung Cancer, Singapore Study (National Medical Research Council Singapore grant (NMRC/0897/2004, NMRC/1075/2006); Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) of Singapore); Genetic Epidemiological Study of Lung Adenocarcinoma (National Research Program on Genomic Medicine in Taiwan (DOH98-TD-G-111-015); National Research Program for Biopharmaceuticals in Taiwan (DOH 100-TD-PB-111-TM013); National Science Council,Taiwan (NSC 100-2319-B-400-001)); Glaucoma (NHGRI: U01HG004728, NEI: R01EY015473, NEI: R01EY015872, Harvard Medical School Distinguished Ophthalmology Scholar Award: Louis Pasquale); Guangdong Study (Foundation of Guangdong Science and Technology Department (2006B60101010, 2007A032000002, 2011A030400010); Guangzhou Science and Information Technology Bureau (2011Y2-00014); Chinese Lung Cancer Research Foundation; National Natural Science Foundation of China (81101549); Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (S2011010000792)); Health Professionals Follow-up Study (UM1 CA167552, R01 HL35464); Hong Kong Study (General Research Fund of Research Grant Council, Hong Kong (781511M)); Intramural Research Program of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Library of Medicine; Intramural Research Program of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Japanese Female Lung Cancer Collaborative Study (Grants-in-Aid from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for Research on Applying Health Technology and for the 3rd-term Comprehensive 10-year Strategy for Cancer Control; National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund; Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas and on Innovative Area from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture and Technology of Japan; NCI (R01-CA121210)); Lung cancer (Z01CP010200); Lung health (U01HG004738); Ministry of Health (201002007); Ministry of Science and Technology (2011BAI09B00); Melanoma (NCI R29CA70334, R01CA100264, P50CA093459); NLCS (China National High-Tech Research and Development Program Grant (2009AA022705); Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution; National Key Basic Research Program Grant (2011CB503805)); Nurses’ Health Study (P01 CA87969, R01 CA49449); Nurses’ Health Study II (UM1 CA176726, R01, 67262); OpPancreatic cancer (Mayo Clinic SPORE in Pancreatic Cancer: P50CA102701); Prematurity (U01HG004423); Prostate cancer (U01HG004726, NCI: CA63464, CA54281, CA1326792, RC2 CA148085); Shanghai Women’s Health Cohort Study (National Institutes of Health (R37 CA70867); National Cancer Institute intramural research program; NCI Intramural Research Program contract (N02 CP1101066)); Shenyang Lung Cancer Study (National Nature Science Foundation of China (81102194); Liaoning Provincial Department of Education (LS2010168); China Medical Board (00726)); Singapore Chinese Health Study (NIH grants: NCI R01 CA55069, R35 CA53890, R01 CA80205, and R01 CA144034); South Korea Multi-Center Lung Cancer Study (National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (2011-0016106); National R&D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health &Welfare, Republic of Korea (0720550-2); (A010250)); Tianjin Lung Cancer Study (Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (PCSIRT); China (IRT1076), Tianjin Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Foundation for Cancer Research US); Venous thromboembolism (U01HG004735); Wuhan lung cancer study (National Key Basic Research and Development Program (2011CB503800)) and Yunnan Lung Cancer Study (Intramural program of U.S. National Institutes of Health; National Cancer Institute). Additionally, K.C.B. was supported in part by the Mary Beryl Patch Turnbull Scholar Program. The GENEVA consortium thanks the participants and the staff of all GENEVA studies for their important contributions. Support for the GENEVA genome-wide association studies was provided through the NIH Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (GEI).

An excess incidence of brain cancer in male farmers has been noted in several studies, but few studies have focused on women. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Upper Midwest Health Study evaluated effects of rural exposures for 341 female glioma cases and 528 controls, all adult (18–80 years of age) nonmetropolitan residents of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. On average, controls lived longer on farms than did cases. After adjusting for age, age group, education, and farm residence, no association with glioma was observed for exposure to arsenicals, benzoic acids, carbamates, chloroacetanilides, dinitroanilines, inorganics, organochlorines, organophosphates, phenoxys, triazines, or urea-based or estrogenic pesticides. An increased risk of glioma was observed for carbamate herbicides but was not statistically significant (odds ratio = 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.9–9.5). No association was observed between glioma and exposure to 12 widely used specific pesticides, after adjustment for age, age group, education, and any other pesticide exposure. These results were not affected after exclusion of proxy respondents (43% of cases, 2% of controls). Women were less likely than men to have applied pesticides, but more likely to have laundered pesticide-contaminated clothes. Storing pesticides in the house was associated with a statistically non-significant increased risk. Results show that exposure to pesticides was not associated with an increased risk of intracranial gliomas in women. Other farm-related factors could be etiologic factors and will be discussed in future reports.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a risk factor for many human diseases, but among exposed individuals, not everyone is equally likely to develop HCMV-spurred diseases, implying the presence of host genetic factors that might modulate immunity to this virus. Here, we show that antibody responsiveness to HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) is significantly associated with particular immunoglobulin GM (γ marker) genotypes. Anti-HCMV gB antibody levels were highest in GM 17/17 homozygotes, intermediate in GM 3/17 heterozygotes, and lowest in GM 3/3 homozygotes (28.2, 19.0, and 8.1 µg/mL, respectively; P = .014). These findings provide mechanistic insights in the etiopathogenesis of HCMV-spurred diseases.

We updated through 2007 the mortality experience of 1,874 workers employed at a New York State chemical manufacturing plant between 1946 and 2006.Reassessed exposures to vinyl chloride, carbon disulfide, and shift work and categories of o-toluidine exposure were based on year, department and job title. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) compared mortality to that of the US population. Internal comparisons used directly standardized rate ratios.Hepatobiliary cancer mortality was elevated among workers ever exposed to vinyl chloride (SMR = 3.80, 95% confidence interval 1.89-6.80); directly standardized rates increased with increasing vinyl chloride exposure duration. No increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality was observed with vinyl chloride and shift work exposures. Internal comparisons showed increased coronary artery disease mortality among long-term workers exposed to carbon disulfide and shift work for 4 years or more.Excess coronary artery disease mortality confirms earlier results; further investigation is needed to understand risk factors.

Introduction In 1991, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported an increased bladder cancer risk in a cohort of 1749 workers potentially exposed to o-toluidine and aniline at a chemical manufacturing plant. As additional information showed that workers in certain departments had been misclassified regarding o-toluidine exposure, we therefore conducted a reanalysis of the data using updated exposure categories. Methods We updated exposure categories based on information ascertained during a plant walkthrough, documents on file at the plant, interviews with current and former employees, and answers provided by company and union officials to specific questions. Bladder cancer incidence was determined through 31 December 1988 and mortality through 31 December 1994. Results Thirteen cases of bladder cancer were observed versus 3.57 expected (New York State rates excluding New York City) (standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 3.64, 95% CI 1.94 to 6.23). Among workers classified as definitely exposed, increasing risks were observed for longer duration of employment (for ≥10 years, standardised rate ratio (SRR) 6.07, 95% CI 0.77 to 48.17) and time since first employment in the exposed departments (for ≥20 years, SRR 3.39, 95% CI 0.40 to 29.03). One bladder cancer death was observed among those definitely exposed. Conclusions These findings are comparable to the results reported earlier by NIOSH, and confirm that workers in this plant have an increased risk of bladder cancer.

Some, but not all, observational studies have suggested that taller stature is associated with a significant increased risk of glioma. In a pooled analysis of observational studies, we investigated the strength and consistency of this association, overall and for major sub-types, and investigated effect modification by genetic susceptibility to the disease.We standardized and combined individual-level data on 1354 cases and 4734 control subjects from 13 prospective and 2 case-control studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for glioma and glioma sub-types were estimated using logistic regression models stratified by sex and adjusted for birth cohort and study. Pooled ORs were additionally estimated after stratifying the models according to seven recently identified glioma-related genetic variants.Among men, we found a positive association between height and glioma risk (≥ 190 vs 170-174 cm, pooled OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.11-2.61; P-trend = 0.01), which was slightly stronger after restricting to cases with glioblastoma (pooled OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.17-3.38; P-trend = 0.02). Among women, these associations were less clear (≥ 175 vs 160-164 cm, pooled OR for glioma = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.70-1.62; P-trend = 0.22; pooled OR for glioblastoma = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.77-2.39; P-trend = 0.04). In general, we did not observe evidence of effect modification by glioma-related genotypes on the association between height and glioma risk.An association of taller adult stature with glioma, particularly for men and stronger for glioblastoma, should be investigated further to clarify the role of environmental and genetic determinants of height in the etiology of this disease.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health previously conducted a retrospective cancer incidence and mortality study of workers employed at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant. Compared with New York State incidence, the bladder cancer risk was 6.5 times higher for workers considered to have definite exposure to ortho-toluidine and aniline, and 4 times higher for workers with possible exposure. Exposure characterization in the original study utilized a surrogate measure based only on departments in which each worker was ever employed. As part of an update of that study, some departments in the three original exposure groups were reclassified based on a follow-up site visit; interviews with employees, management, and union representatives; and review of records including exposure data. An additional evaluation of department-job combinations, rather than only departments, was used to stratify exposure into four categories. An approximate rank of "relative" exposure level for each department-job-year combination was also assigned using a ranking scale of 0 to 10. The ranks were supported by quantitative exposure levels and by professional judgment. The numerical ranking scale was applied to each worker by multiplying the exposure rank by duration for each job held based on comprehensive individual work histories. The cumulative rank scores for this cohort ranged from 0 to 300 unit-years. The medians of the cumulative rank scores for the exposure categories showed very good agreement with increasing exposure classifications (e.g., 0.72, 4.6, 11, 14 unit-years for the four exposure categories). Workers' breathing zone air sampling data collected at this plant from 1976-2004 were well below published occupational exposure limits for these chemicals, but additional cases of bladder cancer have been reported. The exposure assessment revisions and rank estimates will be used to analyze the updated bladder cancer incidence data.

Background An excess incidence of brain cancer in farmers has been noted in several studies. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed the Upper Midwest Health Study (UMHS) as a case–control study of intracranial gliomas and pesticide uses among rural residents. Previous studies of UMHS participants, using “ever-never” exposure to farm pesticides and analyzing men and women separately, found no positive association of farm pesticide exposure and glioma risks. The primary objective was to determine if quantitatively estimated exposure of pesticide applicators was associated with an increased risk of glioma in male and female participants. Methods The study included 798 histologically confirmed primary intracranial glioma cases (45 % with proxy respondents) and 1,175 population-based controls, all adult (age 18–80) non-metropolitan residents of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The analyses used quantitatively estimated exposure from questionnaire responses evaluated by an experienced industrial hygienist with 25 years of work on farm pesticide analyses. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) using unconditional logistic regression modeling were calculated adjusting for frequency-matching variables (10-year age group and sex), and for age and education (a surrogate for socioeconomic status). Analyses were separately conducted with or without proxy respondents. Results No significant positive associations with glioma were observed with cumulative years or estimated lifetime cumulative exposure of farm pesticide use. There was, a significant inverse association for phenoxy pesticide used on the farm (OR 0.96 per 10 g-years of cumulative exposure, CI 0.93-0.99). No significant findings were observed when proxy respondents were excluded. Non-farm occupational applicators of any pesticide had decreased glioma risk: OR 0.72, CI 0.52-0.99. Similarly, house and garden pesticide applicators had a decreased risk of glioma: OR 0.79, CI 0.66-0.93, with statistically significant inverse associations for use of 2,4-D, arsenates, organophosphates, and phenoxys. Conclusions These results are consistent with our previous findings for UMHS of reported farm pesticide exposure and support a lack of positive association between pesticides and glioma.

In an analysis of 31,717 cancer cases and 26,136 cancer-free controls from 13 genome-wide association studies, we observed large chromosomal abnormalities in a subset of clones in DNA obtained from blood or buccal samples. We observed mosaic abnormalities, either aneuploidy or copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, of > 2 Mb in size in autosomes of 517 individuals (0.89%), with abnormal cell proportions of between 7% and 95%. In cancer-free individuals, frequency increased with age, from 0.23% under 50 years to 1.91% between 75 and 79 years (P = 4.8 x 10(-8)). Mosaic abnormalities were more frequent in individuals with solid tumors (0.97% versus 0.74% in cancer-free individuals; odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; P = 0.016), with stronger association with cases who had DNA collected before diagnosis or treatment (OR = 1.45; P = 0.0005). Detectable mosaicism was also more common in individuals for whom DNA was collected at least 1 year before diagnosis with leukemia compared to cancer-free individuals (OR = 35.4; P = 3.8 x 10(-11)). These findings underscore the time-dependent nature of somatic events in the etiology of cancer and potentially other late-onset diseases.

In a pooled analysis of 4 US epidemiologic studies (1993-2001), the authors evaluated the role of 5 female reproductive factors in 357 women with glioma and 822 controls. The authors further evaluated the independent association between 5 implicated gene variants and glioma risk among the study population, as well as the joint associations of female reproductive factors (ages at menarche and menopause, menopausal status, use of oral contraceptives, and menopausal hormone therapy) and these gene variants on glioma risk. Risk estimates were calculated as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals that were adjusted for age, race, and study. Three of the gene variants (rs4295627, a variant of CCDC26; rs4977756, a variant of CDKN2A and CDKN2B; and rs6010620, a variant of RTEL1) were statistically significantly associated with glioma risk in the present population. Compared with women who had an early age at menarche (

Objectives To extend follow-up of cause-specific mortality in workers at seven beryllium processing plants and to estimate associations between mortality risk and beryllium exposure. Methods 9199 workers were followed for mortality from 1940 through 2005. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were estimated based on US population comparisons for lung, nervous system and urinary tract cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and categories containing chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and cor pulmonale. Associations with maximum and cumulative exposure were calculated for a subset of the workers. Results Overall mortality in the cohort compared with the US population was elevated for lung cancer (SMR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.28), COPD (SMR 1.23; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.32), and the categories containing CBD (SMR 7.80; 95% CI 6.26 to 9.60) and cor pulmonale (SMR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.26). Mortality rates for most diseases of interest increased with time-since-hire. For the category including CBD, rates were substantially elevated compared to the US population across all exposure groups. Workers whose maximum beryllium exposure was $10 mg/m 3 had higher rates of lung cancer, urinary tract cancer, COPD and the category containing cor pulmonale than workers with lower exposure. Significant positive trends with cumulative exposure were observed for nervous system cancers (p¼0.0006) and, when short-term workers were excluded, lung cancer (p¼0.01), urinary tract cancer (p¼0.003) and COPD (p

Exposure monitoring programs have been used in the aluminum smelter industry for decades to decrease the risk of cancer from exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Biological monitoring of PAHs incorporates all routes of exposure. Measuring postshift urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1OHP), a metabolite of pyrene, determines worker's daily PAH exposures, while measuring DNA adducts reflect chronic exposures to PAHs. We reviewed the scientific literature to identify changes over time in (1) 1OHP levels, (2) DNA adduct levels, and (3) other contributing factors associated with 1OHP and DNA adduct levels in the aluminum smelter industry. No trends were observed in 1OHP and DNA adduct levels. This could be due to variable selection of study populations and poorly identified job tasks that prevent comparison of jobs across plants and times, unassessed worker exposure variability, and the impact of cumulative exposures. Thus, it cannot be demonstrated that the use of biological monitoring to estimate PAH exposures has brought about an exposure reduction in the industry. Future studies should be aimed at follow-up in workplaces where dermal and inhalation exposure interventions have been employed. Inconsistent findings were also observed in the analysis of CYP1A1, GSTM1, and GSTP1 polymorphisms and their effect on biomarker levels.

For the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) case-control study of glioma among non-metropolitan residents, pesticide information was considered critical. Responses to open-ended questions about pesticide exposures had to be grouped for analysis. Our aim was to classify pesticide responses in biologically relevant categories. We built the NIOSH Retrospective Pesticide Reference Database (NIOSH-RPRD) on over 1000 pesticide products and chemicals, particularly those likely to be used in the upper Midwest, using multiple sources. We obtained first and last years of product registration and product pesticide ingredients and their relative weights from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Pesticide Product Information System. We added fields for pesticide class (organophosphate, etc.), carcinogenicity ratings, and evidence regarding endocrine-disrupting activity. Participant data were merged with the database, allowing each product recalled by a respondent to be linked to one or more chemicals, as appropriate. Respondents named 1347 different pesticides (or pesticide-targeted species) used on the farm, at non-farm jobs, or at home. Database usefulness was assessed by comparing numbers of responses naming actual chemicals to total responses linked to those chemicals. Sixty percent of farm pesticide, 59% of non-farm occupational, and 65% of house and garden responses named products, not chemicals. Among farm pesticide users, 182 (46%) reported using a total of 440 pesticides 1 to 40 years (mean 8.5 years) before those pesticides actually were marketed. The NIOSH-RPRD, now available to other investigators, has been a useful tool for us and other researchers to evaluate, group, and correct pesticide responses.

To compare differences in pre- and post-shift urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1OHP) levels as a measure of internal dose of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) between two groups of oil production workers offshore assumed to be exposed to PAH, and to compare the exposed group to an unexposed control group. Participants’ (n = 42) urine samples, collected over a study period of three consecutive 12-h work days (pre-shift on the first day and post-shift on the third day), were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Analysis of covariance was used in the statistical models. (1) Post-shift 1OHP levels were significantly higher in the exposed workers compared to the controls. (2) Tank workers and process operators did not show statistically significant different post-shift 1OHP levels. Altogether, this study indicates the presence of a low level PAH exposure among offshore oil production workers.

BACKGROUND: Studies of related individuals have consistently demonstrated notable familial aggregation of cancer. We aim to estimate the heritability and genetic correlation attributable to the additive effects of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for cancer at 13 anatomical sites.METHODS: Between 2007 and 2014, the US National Cancer Institute has generated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 49 492 cancer case patients and 34 131 control patients. We apply novel mixed model methodology (GCTA) to this GWAS data to estimate the heritability of individual cancers, as well as the proportion of heritability attributable to cigarette smoking in smoking-related cancers, and the genetic correlation between pairs of cancers.RESULTS: GWAS heritability was statistically significant at nearly all sites, with the estimates of array-based heritability, hl (2), on the liability threshold (LT) scale ranging from 0.05 to 0.38. Estimating the combined heritability of multiple smoking characteristics, we calculate that at least 24% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 14% to 37%) and 7% (95% CI = 4% to 11%) of the heritability for lung and bladder cancer, respectively, can be attributed to genetic determinants of smoking. Most pairs of cancers studied did not show evidence of strong genetic correlation. We found only four pairs of cancers with marginally statistically significant correlations, specifically kidney and testes (ρ = 0.73, SE = 0.28), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and pediatric osteosarcoma (ρ = 0.53, SE = 0.21), DLBCL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (ρ = 0.51, SE =0.18), and bladder and lung (ρ = 0.35, SE = 0.14). Correlation analysis also indicates that the genetic architecture of lung cancer differs between a smoking population of European ancestry and a nonsmoking Asian population, allowing for the possibility that the genetic etiology for the same disease can vary by population and environmental exposures.CONCLUSION: Our results provide important insights into the genetic architecture of cancers and suggest new avenues for investigation.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health evaluated farm pesticide exposure and glioma risk in a study that included 457 glioma cases and 648 population-based controls, all adult men (18-80 yr old) and nonmetropolitan residents of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Multiple logistic regressions were used to control for farm residence, age, age group, education, and exposure to other pesticides. No associations were found between glioma and 12 specific pesticides. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and found reduced glioma risk for insecticides (OR = 0.53, CI = 0.37-0.77), fumigants (OR = 0.57, CI = 0.34-0.95), and organochlorines (OR = 0.66, CI = 0.47-0.94). In analyses excluding proxy respondents (47% of cases) most CIs included 1.0. No positive association of farm pesticide exposure and glioma was found. Other farm exposures may explain the excess brain cancer risk seen in previous studies.

This study expands a previous study of NAT2 polymorphisms and bladder cancer in male subjects occupationally exposed only to benzidine. The combined analysis of 68 cases and 107 controls from a cohort of production workers in China exposed to benzidine included 30 new cases and 67 controls not previously studied. NAT2 enzymatic activity phenotype was characterized by measuring urinary caffeine metabolite ratios. PCR-based methods identified genotypes for NAT2, NAT1 and GSTM1. NAT2 phenotype and genotype data were consistent. A protective association was observed for the slow NAT2 genotype (bladder cancer OR = 0.3; 95% CI = 0.1 = 1.0) after adjustment for cumulative benzidine exposure and lifetime smoking. Individuals carrying NAT1wt/*10 and NAT1*10/*10 showed higher relative risks of bladder cancer (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 0.8-10.1 and OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 0.6-8.3, respectively). No association was found between GSTM1 null and bladder cancer. A metaanalysis risk estimate of case-control studies of NAT2 acetylation and bladder cancer in Asian populations without occupational arylamine exposures showed an increased risk for slow acetylators. The lower limit of the confidence interval (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.0-2.0) approximated the upper confidence interval for the estimate obtained in our analysis. These results support the earlier finding of a protective association between slow acetylation and bladder cancer in benzidine-exposed workers, in contrast to its established link as a risk factor for bladder cancer in people exposed to 2-naphthylamine and 4-aminobiphenyl. Study findings suggest the existence of key differences in the metabolism of mono- and diarylamines.

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, responsible for 75% of adult primary malignant brain tumors, yet aside from its association with ionizing radiation, its etiology is poorly understood. Sex differences in brain tumor incidence suggest that hormonal factors may play a role in the etiology of these tumors, but few studies have examined this association in detail. The objective of this study was to explore the role of reproductive factors in the etiology of glioma in women.As part of a population-based case-control study, histologically confirmed primary glioma cases (n = 341 women) diagnosed between January 1, 1995 and January 31, 1997 were identified through clinics and hospitals in four Midwest U.S. states. Controls (n = 527 women) were randomly selected from lists of licensed drivers and Health Care Finance Administration enrollees. In-person interviews with subjects (81%) or their proxies (19%) collected reproductive history and other exposure information.Glioma risk increased with older age at menarche (P for trend = 0.009) but only among postmenopausal women. Compared with women who never breast-fed, women who breast-fed18 months over their lifetime were at increased risk of glioma (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.9). Women who reported using hormones for symptoms of menopause had a decreased risk of glioma compared with women who never used such hormones (odds ratio, 0.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.5-1.1).These results support the hypothesis that reproductive hormones play a role in the etiology of glioma among women.

Objectives Previous studies at a New York State chemical manufacturing plant reported elevated risks of cardiovascular disease among workers. We updated the mortality experience of 1874 workers employed between 1949 and 2006 through December 31, 2007. We investigated exposures to carbon disulfide and shift work and their association with coronary artery disease. Method Jobs with carbon disulfide and shift work exposure (≥1 day) were identified among departments and job titles in specific years. Standardised mortality ratios (SMR) compared mortality to the US population, adjusted for gender, race, age, and calendar year. Internal comparisons used directly standardised rate ratios (SRR). Results Overall, excess deaths were observed for coroanary artery disease (SMR=1.24, 95% CI 1.04–1.48). Most workers exposed to carbon disulfide perfortmed shift work; we evaluated coronary artery disease mortality in groups defined by duration of exposure to these agents. Compared to the US population, statistically significant increases in mortality were observed among workers with both exposures for 90 days or more (SMR=1.36, 95% CI 1.03–1.76), and among workers with fewer than 90 days of both exposures (SMR=1.31, 95% CI 0.65–2.34). Using cutpoints of 4 years (median exposure duration among long-term cases), the results were no longer statistically significant. In internal comparisons, long-term workers exposed to carbon disulfide and shift work for 4 years or more had a near 3-fold increase in coronary artery disease mortality, compared to workers exposed less than 4 years. Conclusions Excess coronary artery disease mortality confirms earlier results, but further investigation is needed to understand risk factors.

Lead contamination is now a leading public health problem in Mexico. However, there are few data on the lead content of various environmental sources, and little is known about the contribution of these sources to the total lead exposure in the population of children residing in Mexico City. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a random sample of 200 children younger than 5 years of age who lived in one of two areas of Mexico City. Environmental samples of floor, window, and street dust, paint, soil, water, and glazed ceramics were obtained from the participants' households, as well as blood samples and dirt from the hands of the children. Blood lead levels ranged from 1 to 31 micrograms/dl with a mean of 9.9 micrograms/dl (SD 5.8 micrograms/dl). Forty-four percent of the children 18 months of age or older had blood lead levels exceeding 10 micrograms/dl. The lead content of environmental samples was low, except in glazed ceramic. The major predictors of blood lead levels were the lead content of the glazed ceramics used to prepare children's food, exposure to airborne lead due to vehicular emission, and the lead content of the dirt from the children's hands. We conclude that the major sources of lead exposure in Mexico City could be controlled by adequate public health programs to reinforce the use of unleaded gasoline and to encourage production and use of unleaded cookware instead of lead-glazed ceramics.

This paper is intended to offer a qualitative and quantitative diagnosis on publications concerned with human health impact of exposure to environmental chemical pollutants in Mexico. The review of these subjects included scientific papers on studies carried out in Mexico, published both in Mexican and international journals. The articles were analyzed according to the following criteria: chemical pollutants, type of study and institution that conducted it, study population, design, and analysis of data. The article concludes that publications in this field are scarce. Moreover, this review showed that there is little diversity, limited methodology and an unequal distribution of the human and material resources for research. All this indicates a rudimentary level of scientific knowledge in Mexico regarding public health implications of chemical pollutants