C G Parks1, K H Costenbader2, S Long3, J N Hofmann4, Freeman L E Beane5, D P Sandler5. 1. Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Electronic address: Parks1@mail.nih.gov. 2. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Westat, Rockville, MD, USA. 4. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. 5. Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk has been associated with pesticide use, but evidence on specific pesticides or other agricultural exposures is lacking. We investigated history of pesticide use and risk of SLE and a related disease, Sjögren's syndrome (SS), in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS: The study sample (N = 54,419, 52% male, enrolled in 1993-1997) included licensed pesticide applicators from North Carolina and Iowa and spouses who completed any of the follow-up questionnaires (1999-2003, 2005-2010, 2013-2015). Self-reported cases were confirmed by medical records or medication use (total: 107 incident SLE or SS, 79% female). We examined ever use of 31 pesticides and farm tasks and exposures reported at enrollment in association with SLE/SS, using Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), with age as the timescale and adjusting for gender, state, and correlated pesticides. RESULTS: In older participants (>62 years), SLE/SS was associated with ever use of the herbicide metribuzin (HR 5.33; 95%CI 2.19, 12.96) and applying pesticides 20+ days per year (2.97; 1.20, 7.33). Inverse associations were seen for petroleum oil/distillates (0.39; 0.18, 0.87) and the insecticide carbaryl (0.56; 0.36, 0.87). SLE/SS was inversely associated with having a childhood farm residence (0.59; 0.39, 0.91), but was not associated with other farm tasks/exposures (except welding, HR 2.65; 95%CI 0.96, 7.35). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that some agricultural pesticides may be associated with higher or lower risk of SLE/SS. However, the overall risk associated with farming appears complex, involving other factors and childhood exposures.
BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk has been associated with pesticide use, but evidence on specific pesticides or other agricultural exposures is lacking. We investigated history of pesticide use and risk of SLE and a related disease, Sjögren's syndrome (SS), in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS: The study sample (N = 54,419, 52% male, enrolled in 1993-1997) included licensed pesticide applicators from North Carolina and Iowa and spouses who completed any of the follow-up questionnaires (1999-2003, 2005-2010, 2013-2015). Self-reported cases were confirmed by medical records or medication use (total: 107 incident SLE or SS, 79% female). We examined ever use of 31 pesticides and farm tasks and exposures reported at enrollment in association with SLE/SS, using Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), with age as the timescale and adjusting for gender, state, and correlated pesticides. RESULTS: In older participants (>62 years), SLE/SS was associated with ever use of the herbicide metribuzin (HR 5.33; 95%CI 2.19, 12.96) and applying pesticides 20+ days per year (2.97; 1.20, 7.33). Inverse associations were seen for petroleum oil/distillates (0.39; 0.18, 0.87) and the insecticide carbaryl (0.56; 0.36, 0.87). SLE/SS was inversely associated with having a childhood farm residence (0.59; 0.39, 0.91), but was not associated with other farm tasks/exposures (except welding, HR 2.65; 95%CI 0.96, 7.35). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that some agricultural pesticides may be associated with higher or lower risk of SLE/SS. However, the overall risk associated with farming appears complex, involving other factors and childhood exposures.
Authors: Amjad Mustafa; Steven Holladay; Sharon Witonsky; Kurt Zimmerman; Ashley Manari; Sheryl Countermarsh; Ebru Karpuzoglu; Robert Gogal Journal: Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol Date: 2011-02
Authors: Michael C R Alavanja; Jonathan N Hofmann; Charles F Lynch; Cynthia J Hines; Kathryn H Barry; Joseph Barker; Dennis W Buckman; Kent Thomas; Dale P Sandler; Jane A Hoppin; Stella Koutros; Gabriella Andreotti; Jay H Lubin; Aaron Blair; Laura E Beane Freeman Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-10-22 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Juliana Imgenberg-Kreuz; Jonas Carlsson Almlöf; Dag Leonard; Christopher Sjöwall; Ann-Christine Syvänen; Lars Rönnblom; Johanna K Sandling; Gunnel Nordmark Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2019-07-30 Impact factor: 7.561
Authors: Chiara Bellocchi; Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa; Gaia Montanelli; Barbara Vigone; Alessandro Santaniello; Rosa Quirantes-Piné; Isabel Borrás-Linares; Maria Gerosa; Carolina Artusi; Roberta Gualtierotti; Antonio Segura-Carrettero; Marta E Alarcón-Riquelme; Lorenzo Beretta Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2019-08-23 Impact factor: 4.241