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The Determining of Pesticide Residue Levels in Children Diagnosed with Acute Leukemia in Cukurova Region, Turkiye
Sema Yilmaz1, Nebile Daglioglu2, Nihal Inandiklioglu3
1Kocaeli City Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Izmit, Turkiye.
Insights
Pesticide residues, including PCBs and HCH isomers, were significantly higher in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) compared to healthy children. Reducing pesticide exposure is crucial for public health and potentially preventing childhood leukemia.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Oncology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most prevalent childhood cancer.
- Childhood exposure to pesticides can occur prenatally or postnatally.
- This study investigates the link between pesticide residues and childhood ALL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and compare pesticide residues in acute leukemia patients and healthy children.
- To identify specific pesticide types associated with childhood leukemia.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed bone marrow samples from 29 newly diagnosed ALL patients.
- Analyzed peripheral blood samples from 33 healthy children.
- Quantified organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), including PCBs, HCB, HCH isomers, DDT, DDD, and DDE.
Main Results:
- Beta-HCH, delta-HCH, and PCB28 were the most frequently detected OCPs.
- Triflumizole and thiometon were common OPPs.
- Significant statistical differences (p=0.001) in PCB28, beta-HCH, delta-HCH, triflumizole, and thiometon levels were observed between ALL patients and controls.
Conclusions:
- Elevated pesticide residues, particularly PCBs and HCH isomers, are significantly associated with childhood ALL.
- These findings highlight the importance of public health measures to reduce pesticide exposure.
- Pesticide exposure may play a role in the etiology of childhood leukemia.
Background:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy. in children. Children can be exposed to pesticides during pregnancy or by their parent carried out pesticides to home. The objective of this study was to study pesticide residues in both acute leukemia patients and healthy children.
Methods:
Twenty nine patients with acute leukemia [22 boys (76%) and 7 girls (24%)] and 33 healthy children [(19 boys (57%), 14 girls (43%)] were included in the study. We analyzed eight PCB (PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 118, PCB 138, PCB 153, PCB 180 and PCB 202), HCB, three HCH isomers, 4,4'-DDT, 4,4'-DDD and 4,4'-DDE were investigated in bone marrow of newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients and peripheral blood samples of healthy children.
Results:
The most detectable OCPs were β-HCH, δ-HCH and PCB28, triflumizole and thiometon were commonly found as OPPs. The significant difference was found statistically between ALL cases and control group according to the residues of PCB28 (74,06±85,29), β-HCH (72,06±89,07) and δ-HCH (23,35±42,93) (p=0.001). Additionally, OPPs consisted triflumizole (7,23±9,17), thiometon (3,37±4,30) and halfenprox (1,90±3,22) showed distinctive difference statistically (p=0.001).
Conclusion:
Pesticide residues were estimated significantly in bone marrow of leukemia patients should be considered an important for public health with the decreasing or preventing of pesticide exposure which have a role in leukemia ethiology.
