Differences in serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds by occupational social class in pancreatic cancer.
BACKGROUND
The relationships between social factors and body concentrations of environmental chemical agents are unknown in many human populations. Some chemical compounds may play an etiopathogenic role in pancreatic cancer.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the relationships between occupational social class and serum concentrations of seven selected organochlorine compounds (OCs) in exocrine pancreatic cancer: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (p,p'-DDE), 3 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene, and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane.


METHODS
Incident cases of exocrine pancreatic cancer were prospectively identified, and interviewed face-to-face during hospital admission (n=135). Serum concentrations of OCs were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Social class was classified according to occupation.


RESULTS
Multivariate-adjusted concentrations of all seven compounds were higher in occupational social classes IV-V (the less affluent) than in classes I-II; they were higher as well in class III than in classes I-II for four compounds. Concentrations of six OCs were higher in manual workers than in non-manual workers (p<0.05 for PCBs). Social class explained statistically between 3.7% and 5.7% of the variability in concentrations of PCBs, and 2% or less variability in the other OCs.


CONCLUSIONS
Concentrations of most OCs were higher in the less affluent occupational social classes. In pancreatic cancer the putative causal role of these persistent organic pollutants may not be independent of social class. There is a need to integrate evidence on the contribution of different social processes and environmental chemical exposures to the etiology of pancreatic and other cancers.
Porta
Miquel
M
Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain. mporta@imim.es
Bosch de Basea
Magda
M
Benavides
Fernando G
FG
López
Tomàs
T
Fernandez
Esteve
E
Marco
Esther
E
Alguacil
Juan
J
Grimalt
Joan O
JO
Puigdomènech
Elisa
E
D003634:DDT / Q000097:blood; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D012923:Social Class
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls