Parental occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of childhood leukemia in the offspring: findings from the childhood leukemia international consortium.
Maternal occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy and/or paternal occupational pesticide exposure around conception have been suggested to increase risk of leukemia in the offspring. With a view to providing insight in this area we pooled individual level data from 13 case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (CLIC). Occupational data were harmonized to a compatible format. Pooled individual analyses were undertaken using unconditional logistic regression. Using exposure data from mothers of 8,236 cases, and 14,850 controls, and from fathers of 8,169 cases and 14,201 controls the odds ratio (OR) for maternal exposure during pregnancy and the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78, 1.30] and for paternal exposure around conception 1.20 (95% 1.06, 1.38). For acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the OR for maternal exposure during pregnancy was 1.94 (CI 1.19, 3.18) and for paternal exposure around conception 0.91 (CI 0.66, 1.24.) based on data from 1,329 case and 12,141 control mothers, and 1,231 case and 11,383 control fathers. Our finding of a significantly increased risk of AML in the offspring with maternal exposure to pesticides during pregnancy is consistent with previous reports. We also found a slight increase in risk of ALL with paternal exposure around conception which appeared to be more evident in children diagnosed at the age of 5 years or more and those with T cell ALL which raises interesting questions on possible mechanisms.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Section of Environment and Radiation, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, Lyon Cedex 08, France.
Helen D
HD
Bailey
Lin
L
Fritschi
Claire
C
Infante-Rivard
Deborah C
DC
Glass
Lucia
L
Miligi
John D
JD
Dockerty
Tracy
T
Lightfoot
Jacqueline
J
Clavel
Eve
E
Roman
Logan G
LG
Spector
Peter
P
Kaatsch
Catherine
C
Metayer
Corrado
C
Magnani
Elizabeth
E
Milne
Sophia
S
Polychronopoulou
Jill
J
Simpson
Jérémie
J
Rudant
Vasiliki
V
Sidi
Roberto
R
Rondelli
Laurent
L
Orsi
Alice Y
AY
Kang
Eleni
E
Petridou
Joachim
J
Schüz
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007390:International Agencies; D007938:Leukemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000209:etiology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
D010575:Pesticides
childhood; leukemia; meta-analysis; occupation; pesticide; pooled analysis