Chloramphenicol use and childhood leukaemia in Shanghai.
A population-based case-control interview study of 309 childhood leukaemia cases and 618 age and sex matched controls showed a significant dose-response relation between chloramphenicol and risk of both acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) and acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (ANLL), treatment for more than 10 days being associated with risks of 11.0 and 12.0, respectively. A significant risk of ANLL was also observed with the use of syntomycin, a drug pharmacologically related to chloramphenicol. The risks remained high when analyses were limited to either first or latest use of these antibiotics more than 2 years before diagnosis. Although the association may have non-causal explanations, the results warrant cautious prescribing patterns and further investigations into the leukaemogenic potential of chloramphenicol.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D013997:Time Factors
D002701:Chloramphenicol