Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk and organophosphate and carbamate insecticide use in the north American pooled project

Abstract

Organophosphates and carbamates have been among the most commonly used insecticides, with both agricultural and residential uses. Previous studies have suggested associations of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with some of these chemicals; however, many studies have been limited in their ability to evaluate associations with lymphoma subtypes. We evaluated the use of eleven organophosphate and two carbamate insecticides in association with NHL in the North American Pooled Project, which includes data from case-control studies in the United States and Canada (1690 cases/5131 controls). We used unconditional logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders, including use of other pesticides, to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between these chemicals and NHL overall, and NHL subtypes, i.e., follicular (FL), diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and others. Ever use of malathion was associated with increased risk of NHL overall (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14–1.81) compared with never users. Categories using tertiles of duration (< 4 yrs., 4–12 yrs., and > 12yrs) also showed a significant exposure-response for increasing years of use of malathion and risk of NHL (OR < 4vsUnex = 1.33 (0.88, 2.03), OR 4–12vsUnex = 1.42 (1.02, 1.96), OR > 12vsUnex = 1.55 (1.05, 2.28, p-trend < 0.01)). In addition, malathion use was statistically significantly associated with FL (OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.11–2.27) and DLBCL (OR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.16–2.22) while there were no apparent associations with SLL or other subtypes, the p-value for heterogeneity across subtypes, however, was not significant. These results support previous studies suggesting an association between insecticide use and NHL overall, and provide new information on associations with NHL subtypes.

The role of pesticides in the etiology of lymphoma: A systematic review

“…A positive relationship was found between the use of organophosphate (OP) and carbamate insecticides and the subtypes of lymphoma. Furthermore, a significant increased risk was also found in the use of carbonfuran and DLBCL [24].…”

“…The participants in the case-control group were usually selected from the existing hospital/health records or from the results of prospective cohort studies. It was determined that the minimum and maximum numbers of samples were 158 [23] and 1690 [24], respectively.…”

“…The cases and controls were matched by settlement (state/province) and age (±2 or 5 years). Other variables related to NHL risk factors such as demographic data, agricultural exposures (including use of pesticides) and lifestyle, medical and occupational history were obtained from the participants through questionnaire form [24].…”

Nano-Delivery Systems of Pesticides Active Agents for Agriculture Applications - An Overview

“…Without them, crops would be devastated by opportunistic organisms that would eliminate or limit food production on a large scale (BAPAT et al, 2016;CAROLIN et al, dolphins, seals, and whales exposed to contaminated waters. In humans, direct exposure to organophosphate pesticides can lead to the appearance of lymphomas (KOUTROS et al, 2019).…”

Nano-Delivery Systems of Pesticides Active Agents for Agriculture Applications - An Overview

“…Other studies have shown immune system impairment in dolphins, seals, and whales exposed to contaminated waters. In humans, direct exposure to organophosphate pesticides can lead to the appearance of lymphomas (KOUTROS et al, 2019). Organochlorine pesticides are highly carcinogenic and generate oxidative stress and mitochondrial cell malfunction (SCHMIDT et al, 2017), while carbamates lead to apoptosis (cell selfdestruction) and the development of tumor cells in the central nervous system (PIEL et al, 2019).…”