title: A case control etiologic study of sarcoidosis: environmental and occupational risk factors.
abstract: Past research suggests that environmental factors may be associated with sarcoidosis risk. We conducted a case control study to test a priori hypotheses that environmental and occupational exposures are associated with sarcoidosis. Ten centers recruited 706 newly diagnosed patients with sarcoidosis and an equal number of age-, race-, and sex-matched control subjects. Interviewers administered questionnaires containing questions regarding occupational and nonoccupational exposures that we assessed in univariable and multivariable analyses. We observed positive associations between sarcoidosis and specific occupations (e.g., agricultural employment, odds ratio [OR] 1.46, confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.89), exposures (e.g., insecticides at work, OR 1.52, CI 1.14-2.04, and work environments with mold/mildew exposures [environments with possible exposures to microbial bioaerosols], OR 1.61, CI 1.13-2.31). A history of ever smoking cigarettes was less frequent among cases than control subjects (OR 0.62, CI 0.50-0.77). In multivariable modeling, we observed elevated ORs for work in areas with musty odors (OR 1.62, CI 1.24-2.11) and with occupational exposure to insecticides (OR 1.61, CI 1.13-2.28), and a decreased OR related to ever smoking cigarettes (OR 0.65, CI 0.51-0.82). The study did not identify a single, predominant cause of sarcoidosis. We identified several exposures associated with sarcoidosis risk, including insecticides, agricultural employment, and microbial bioaerosols.
authors.affiliation: National Jewish Medical and Research Center and Univresity of Colorado Health Scienes Center, Denver, CO 80206, USA. newmanL@njc.org
authors.forename: Lee S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Cecile S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Eddy A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bresnitz
authors.forename: Milton D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rossman
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barnard
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frederick
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Terrin
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Moller
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McLennan
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hunninghake
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: DePalo
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Baughman
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Iannuzzi
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Judson
authors.forename: Genell L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Knatterud
authors.forename: Bruce W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Alvin S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Teirstein
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yeager
authors.forename: Carol J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rabin
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Rybicki
authors.forename: Reuben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cherniack
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000209:etiology*