title: Pesticide Use and Relative Leukocyte Telomere Length in the Agricultural Health Study.
abstract: Some studies suggest that telomere length (TL) may be influenced by environmental exposures, including pesticides. We examined associations between occupational pesticide use reported at three time points and relative telomere length (RTL) in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), a prospective cohort study of pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. RTL was measured by qPCR using leukocyte DNA from 568 cancer-free male AHS participants aged 31-94 years with blood samples collected between 2006 and 2008. Self-reported information, including pesticide use, was collected at three time points: enrollment (1993-1997) and two follow-up questionnaires (1998-2003, 2005-2008). For each pesticide, we evaluated cumulative use (using data from all three questionnaires), and more recent use (using data from the last follow-up questionnaire). Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the associations between pesticide use (ever, lifetime days, intensity-weighted lifetime days (lifetime days*intensity score)) and RTL, adjusting for age at blood draw and use of other pesticides. Of the 57 pesticides evaluated with cumulative use, increasing lifetime days of 2,4-D (p-trend=0.001), diazinon (p-trend=0.002), and butylate (p-trend=0.01) were significantly associated with shorter RTL, while increasing lifetime days of alachlor was significantly associated with longer RTL (p-trend=0.03). Only the association with 2,4-D was significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Of the 40 pesticides evaluated for recent use, malathion was associated with shorter RTL (p=0.03), and alachlor with longer RTL (p=0.03). Our findings suggest that leukocyte TL may be impacted by cumulative use and recent use of certain pesticides.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andreotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hoppin
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koutros
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shahinaz M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gadalla
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Center of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Epigenetics, Exposure Epidemiology and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baccarelli
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sandler
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alavanja
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Beane Freeman
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000506:poisoning; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008294:Malathion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D010575:Pesticides / Q000506:poisoning*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016615:Telomere / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D010575:Pesticides; C000188:alachlor; D008294:Malathion