title: Comparison of hematological alterations and markers of B-cell activation in workers exposed to benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
abstract: Benzene, formaldehyde (FA) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are ubiquitous chemicals in workplaces and the general environment. Benzene is an established myeloid leukemogen and probable lymphomagen. FA is classified as a myeloid leukemogen but has not been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), whereas TCE has been associated with NHL but not myeloid leukemia. Epidemiologic associations between FA and myeloid leukemia, and between benzene, TCE and NHL are, however, still debated. Previously, we showed that these chemicals are associated with hematotoxicity in cross-sectional studies of factory workers in China, which included extensive personal monitoring and biological sample collection. Here, we compare and contrast patterns of hematotoxicity, monosomy 7 in myeloid progenitor cells (MPCs), and B-cell activation biomarkers across these studies to further evaluate possible mechanisms of action and consistency of effects with observed hematologic cancer risks. Workers exposed to benzene or FA, but not TCE, showed declines in cell types derived from MPCs, including granulocytes and platelets. Alterations in lymphoid cell types, including B cells and CD4+ T cells, and B-cell activation markers were apparent in workers exposed to benzene or TCE. Given that alterations in myeloid and lymphoid cell types are associated with hematological malignancies, our data provide biologic insight into the epidemiological evidence linking benzene and FA exposure with myeloid leukemia risk, and TCE and benzene exposure with NHL risk.
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bassig
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Luoping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Xiaojiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guilan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Purdue
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Songnian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rappaport
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chuangyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yichen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: H Dean
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Hosgood
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA and.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Banghua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuxuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Laiyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Laura E Beane
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Poison Control Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hanlin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Martyn T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D053878:Hemolytic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D023461:Myeloid Progenitor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053878:Hemolytic Agents; D005557:Formaldehyde; D014241:Trichloroethylene; D001554:Benzene