Aplastic anemia in rural Thailand: its association with grain farming and agricultural pesticide exposure. Aplastic Anemia Study Group.
OBJECTIVE
A population-based case-control study was conducted to elucidate the incidence and etiology of aplastic anemia in Thailand.


METHODS
Case patients and hospital control patients were enrolled in three regions from 1989 to 1994; data were collected by interview.


RESULTS
Forty-six percent of 81 case patients and 19% of 295 control patients from Khonkaen were grain farmers (estimated relative risk [RR] = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4, 5.2). Sixteen percent of case patients and 6% of control patients used agricultural pesticides (estimated RR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1, 6.6). The association with grain farming remained among those not exposed to pesticides. In Songkla, 16% of 43 case patients and 2% of 181 control patients were grain farmers (crude RR estimate = 11, 95% CI = 3.4, 35).


CONCLUSIONS
The relation of aplastic anemia to grain farming may partly explain the high incidence of aplastic anemia in Thailand.
Issaragrisil
S
S
Department of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Chansung
K
K
Kaufman
D W
DW
Sirijirachai
J
J
Thamprasit
T
T
Young
N S
NS
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
D010575:Pesticides