title: Circulating immune/inflammation markers in Chinese workers occupationally exposed to formaldehyde.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Formaldehyde has been classified as a human myeloid leukemogen. However, the mechanistic basis for this association is still debated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate whether circulating immune/inflammation markers were altered in workers occupationally exposed to formaldehyde.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a multiplexed bead-based assay, we measured serum levels of 38 immune/inflammation markers in a cross-sectional study of 43 formaldehyde-exposed and 51 unexposed factory workers in Guangdong, China. Linear regression models adjusting for potential confounders were used to compare marker levels in exposed and unexposed workers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significantly lower circulating levels of two markers among exposed factory workers compared with unexposed controls that remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders and multiple comparisons using a false discovery rate of 10%, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 11 (36.2 pg/ml in exposed versus 48.4 pg/ml in controls, P = 0.0008) and thymus and activation regulated chemokine (52.7 pg/ml in exposed versus 75.0 pg/ml in controls, P = 0.0028), suggesting immunosuppression among formaldehyde-exposed workers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings are consistent with recently emerging understanding that immunosuppression might be associated with myeloid diseases. These findings, if replicated in a larger study, may provide insights into the mechanisms by which formaldehyde promotes leukemogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA weijie.seow2@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Wei Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Luoping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and.
authors.forename: Xiaojiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bassig
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Meredith S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shiels
authors.affiliation: HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Troy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and.
authors.forename: Chuangyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Beane Freeman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Cuiju
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and.
authors.forename: Laiyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ligia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and.
authors.forename: Hanlin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Martyn T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hildesheim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850, USA, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China, and HPV Immunology Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054414:Chemokine CCL17 / Q000097:blood; D054371:Chemokine CXCL11 / Q000097:blood; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C106230:CCL17 protein, human; C515202:CXCL11 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D054371:Chemokine CXCL11; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D005557:Formaldehyde