Association of Asthma with Use of Pesticides: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey of Farmers

Senthilselvan, Ambikaipakan; McDuffie, Helen H.; Dosman, James A.

doi:10.1164/ajrccm/146.4.884

Cited by 118 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…However, we think misclassification per se is unlikely to explain the observed effect of asthma because the reported prevalence of asthma in our study (5.5%) was consistent with that reported in other populations, ranging from 5% in the Agricultural Health Study in the United States 34 to 4 -6% in rural Saskatchewan in Canada. 33,36 Asthma prevalence was also similar by self (5%) and proxy (6%) respondents. Although farmers provide considerably accurate detail regarding past pesticide use, 37-39 misclassification of exposure is a concern.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…Exposure to pesticides may influence the induction and aggravation of asthma through modification of autonomic control of airways. 32 Associations between asthma and use of cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides were observed among Canadian farmers 33 and U.S. pesticide applicators. 34 The strengths of our pooled study are a population-based design, high response rates and detailed information on pesticide use and potential etiologic factors for NHL.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma among asthmatics exposed to pesticides

Lee

Cantor

Berzofsky

et al. 2004

Intl Journal of Cancer

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We conducted a pooled analysis of population-based casecontrol studies in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska to investigate whether asthma modifies risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) associated with pesticide exposures. Cases (n ‫؍‬ 872) diagnosed with NHL from 1980 to 1986 and frequency-matched controls (n ‫؍‬ 2,381) randomly selected from the same geographic areas as the cases were included. Information on use of pesticides and history of asthma was based on interviews. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs, adjusted for age, state and vital status. Of all subjects, 177 (45 cases, 132 controls) reported having been told by their doctor that they had asthma. Subjects with an asthma history had a nonsignificantly lower risk of NHL than nonasthmatics (OR ‫؍‬ 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.4), and there was no main effect of pesticide exposure (OR ‫؍‬ 1.0, 95% CI 0.8 -1.2). However, asthmatics tended to have larger ORs associated with exposure to pesticides than nonasthmatics. The OR among asthmatics was 1.8 (95% CI 1.1-3.2) for everuse of crop insecticides, 2.7 (95% CI 1.0 -7.2) for chlordane, 2.4 (95% CI 1.0 -5.7) for lindane and 3.7 (95% CI 1.3-10.9) for fonofos. Among nonasthmatics, ORs were 1.1 (0.9 -1.3), 1. Incidence and mortality rates for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have been increasing worldwide over the past several decades. 1 Although the reasons for this increase are not fully understood, NHL is known to be associated with a compromised immune system, particularly acquired or genetic immunodeficiencies. 2,3 Medical conditions related to more subtle immune alteration, such as asthma and other allergic conditions, have also been studied as potential risk factors for NHL. 4 -10 These reports have described a decreased risk for NHL among persons with a history of asthma or allergies, 4,5 no association 6 -8 or an increase in risk. 9,10 Exposure to pesticides has also been suggested as a possible risk factor for NHL. [11][12][13][14][15] Pesticides may increase cancer risk by altering the immune system. 16 -19 Because both asthma and pesticide exposure may change the risk of NHL by immunologic alterations, we investigated the relation between pesticide exposure, asthma and risk of NHL. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study populationWe pooled data from 2 population-based case-control studies of NHL in 3 midwestern states in the United States, which have been described in detail previously. 20,21 In Iowa and Minnesota, all newly diagnosed cases of NHL among white men aged Ն30 were ascertained from records of the Iowa State Health Registry and a special surveillance system of Minnesota hospitals and pathology laboratories from 1980 to 1983 (n ϭ 530). In Nebraska, all cases of NHL diagnosed between July 1983 and June 1986 among white men and women aged Ն21 in 45 eastern counties were identified through the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group and area hospitals (n ϭ 346). All cases were reviewed by pathologists, and only histologically confirmed cases were included in this analysis. Controls were randomly selected from ...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma among asthmatics exposed to pesticides

Lee

Cantor

Berzofsky

et al. 2004

Intl Journal of Cancer

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…18 The results on the prevalence of chronic cough (6%) and wheezing without cold (7%) were relatively similar to Ohio study 26 but lower than the Canadian study, whose prevalence was 14% for morning cough and 27% for wheezing without cold. 22 Different forms of occupational exposure to pesticides showed a dose-response relationship with respiratory symptoms, especially those of asthma. The pesticide exposure, at a high enough concentration to cause self-reported pesticide poisoning, was considered an indicator of intense exposure and showed a clear association with symptoms of asthma and chronic respiratory illness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pesticides and respiratory symptoms among farmers

et al. 2005

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ObjectiveDespite the intensive use of pesticides in agriculture there are few studies assessing the risk of respiratory conditions from this exposure. The study aimed at quantifying the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among farmers and evaluating its relationship with occupational use of pesticides and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,379 farmers from two municipalities of Southern Brazil in 1996. Frequency and type of chemical exposure and pesticide poisoning were recorded for both sexes. All subjects aged 15 years or older with at least 15 weekly hours of agricultural activity were interviewed. An adapted questionnaire developed by the American Thoracic Society was used for the assessment of respiratory symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out. Results More than half (55%) of interviewees were male. The prevalence of asthma symptoms was 12% and chronic respiratory disease symptoms was 22%. Higher odds ratios for both asthma (OR=1.51; 95% CI: 1.07-2.14) and chronic respiratory disease (OR=1.34; 95% CI 1.00-1.81) symptoms were found in women. Logistic regression analysis identified associations between many forms of exposure to pesticides and increased respiratory symptoms. Occurrence of pesticide poisoning was associated with higher prevalence of asthma symptoms (OR=1.54; 95% CI: 1.04-2.58) and chronic respiratory disease symptoms (OR=1.57; 95% CI: 1.08-2.28). ConclusionsIn spite of causality limitations, the study results provide evidence that farming exposure to pesticides is associated with higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, especially when the exposure is above two days per month. Resumo Objetivo

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“…Dysregulation of parasympathetic function, as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia, predicts the onset of wheezing in adults (119). Although there are few direct studies of the effects of OP and carbamate pesticide exposure on asthma risk, farmworkers' exposure to carbamate pesticides has been associated with the occurrence of asthma after adjustment for other relevant factors (120). Professional fumigators reportedly have an increased occurrence of allergy and asthma in parallel with a higher risk of a > 20% decrease in red blood cell AchE (121).…”

Section: Potential Respiratory Health Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposures of children to organophosphate pesticides and their potential adverse health effects.

Eskenazi

Bradman

Castorina

1999

Environ Health Perspect

582

326

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Recent studies show that young children can be exposed to pesticides during normal oral exploration of their environment and their level of dermal contact with floors and other surfaces. Children living in agricultural areas may be exposed to higher pesticide levels than other children because of pesticides tracked into their homes by household members, by pesticide drift, by breast milk from their farmworker mother, or by playing in nearby fields. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed the extent of children's pesticide exposure, and no studies have examined whether there are adverse health effects of chronic exposure. There is substantial toxicologic evidence that repeated low-level exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides may affect neurodevelopment and growth in developing animals. For example, animal studies have reported neurobehavorial effects such as impairment on maze performance, locomotion, and balance in neonates exposed (italic)in utero(/italic) and during early postnatal life. Possible mechanisms for these effects include inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase, downregulation of muscarinic receptors, decreased brain DNA synthesis, and reduced brain weight in offspring. Research findings also suggest that it is biologically plausible that OP exposure may be related to respiratory disease in children through dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. The University of California Berkeley Center for Children's Environmental Health Research is working to build a community-university partnership to study the environmental health of rural children. This Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas, or CHAMACOS in Monterey County, California, will assess (italic)in utero(/italic) and postnatal OP pesticide exposure and the relationship of exposure to neurodevelopment, growth, and symptoms of respiratory illness in children. The ultimate goal of the center is to translate research findings into a reduction of children's exposure to pesticides and other environmental agents, and thereby reduce the incidence of environmentally related disease.

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Association of Asthma with Use of Pesticides: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey of Farmers

Cited by 118 publications

References 4 publications

Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma among asthmatics exposed to pesticides

Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma among asthmatics exposed to pesticides

Pesticides and respiratory symptoms among farmers

Exposures of children to organophosphate pesticides and their potential adverse health effects.

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