Logo image
Back
Risk of Brain Tumors in Children and Susceptibility to Organophosphorus Insecticides: The Potential Role of Paraoxonase (PON1)
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Risk of Brain Tumors in Children and Susceptibility to Organophosphorus Insecticides: The Potential Role of Paraoxonase (PON1)

Susan Searles Nielsen, Beth A. Mueller, Anneclaire J. De Roos, Hannah-Malia A. Viernes, Federico M. Farin and Harvey Checkoway
Environmental health perspectives, v 113(7), pp 909-913
18 Mar 2005
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.7680
PMID: 16002382
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.7680View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

brain tumor children chlorpyrifos diazinon dried blood spots Guthrie cards paraoxonase pesticides PON1 xenobiotic metabolism
Prior research suggests that childhood brain tumors (CBTs) may be associated with exposure to pesticides. Organophosphorus insecticides (OPs) target the developing nervous system, and until recently, the most common residential insecticides were chlorpyrifos and diazinon, two OPs metabolized in the body through the cytochrome P450/paraoxonase 1 (PON1) pathway. To investigate whether two common PON1 polymorphisms, C-108T and Q192R, are associated with CBT occurrence, we conducted a population-based study of 66 cases and 236 controls using DNA from neonatal screening archive specimens in Washington State, linked to interview data. The risk of CBT was nonsignificantly increased in relation to the inefficient PON1 promoter allele [per PON1 -108T allele, relative to PON1 -108CC : odds ratio (OR) = 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–2.2; p -value for trend = 0.07]. Notably, this association was strongest and statistically significant among children whose mothers reported chemical treatment of the home for pests during pregnancy or childhood (per PON1 -108T allele: among exposed, OR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2–5.5; among unexposed, OR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5–1.6) and for primitive neuroectodermal tumors (per PON1 -108T allele: OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.4). The Q192R polymorphism, which alters the structure of PON1 and influences enzyme activity in a substrate-dependent manner, was not associated with CBT risk, nor was the PON1 C-108T/Q192R haplotype. These results are consistent with an inverse association between PON1 levels and CBT occurrence, perhaps because of PON1’s ability to detoxify OPs common in children’s environments. Larger studies that measure plasma PON1 levels and incorporate more accurate estimates of pesticide exposure will be required to confirm these observations.

Metrics

2 Record Views
56 citations in Web of Science
67 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Toxicology
Logo image