ZIA CP010119-10527 (ZIA) | |||
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Title | Agricultural Health Study - Biomarkers of Exposures and Effects in Agriculture | ||
Institution | NCI, Bethesda, MD | ||
Principal Investigator | Alavanja, Michael | NCI Program Director | N/A |
Cancer Activity | N/A | Division | DCEG |
Funded Amount | $507,725 | Project Dates | 00/00/0000 - 00/00/0000 |
Fiscal Year | 2013 | Project Type | Intramural |
Research Topics w/ Percent Relevance | Cancer Types w/ Percent Relevance | ||
Biochemical Epidemiology (45.0%) Cancer (100.0%) Pesticides (25.0%) |
Leukemia (40.0%) Multiple Myeloma (50.0%) Thyroid (10.0%) |
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Research Type | |||
Interactions of Genes and/or Genetic Polymorphisms with Exogenous and/or Endogenous Factors | |||
Abstract | |||
This study has two primary objectives. First, we propose to determine the prevalence and study the etiology of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in a sample of 1,600 cancer-free, Agricultural Health Study (AHS) pesticide applicators over the age of 50, with well-characterized occupational exposures and lifestyle factors. MGUS has been observed to precede all cases of multiple myeloma in the PLCO study. To achieve this objective we will compare the prevalence of MGUS in the AHS cohort with the prevalence in two general population-based cohorts. We will also examine the associations between MGUS and specific pesticides within the AHS cohort, and determine whether selected biomarkers are associated with excess MGUS and whether these biomarkers are significantly associated with specific pesticides. The second objective will establish a resource with the remaining biospecimens collected from the participants for the MGUS study that will be used to evaluate the biological plausibility and the mechanism-of-action of associations between pesticides and cancers observed in earlier AHS studies. Many of these pesticides are non-genotoxic and their mechanism of carcinogenesis has not been determined. The biospecimen resource will include blood and urine samples. Junior investigators will be encouraged to pursue funding via IRAs, molecular epidemiology class awards, and technology development awards to utilize this resource. Of immediate interest is the use of the first 400 bio-specimens in a pilot evaluation of the prevalence of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) in the AHS cohort and its potential link to specific pesticides. MBL has been shown to precede Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in the PLCO study and several pesticides in current widespread use in the AHS have been linked to leukemia. As of July 1, 2013 we have collect over 920 samples for this effort. |