Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39986429›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental research2025

Occupational pesticide use and relative leukocyte telomere length in the biomarkers of exposure and effect in agriculture study.

Patricia A Erickson, Vicky C Chang, Shisi He, Casey Dagnall, Kedest Teshome, Mitchell J Machiela, Kathryn Hughes Barry, Edna F R Pereira, Shahinaz M Gadalla, Christine G Parks and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Co-Exposure with the Herbicide 2,4-D Does Not ExacerbateAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Patricia A EricksonOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Vicky C ChangOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
Shisi HeOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Casey DagnallCancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Rockville, MD, USA.
Kedest TeshomeCancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Rockville, MD, USA.
Mitchell J MachielaIntegrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
Kathryn Hughes BarryDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Program in Oncology, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Edna F R PereiraDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Shahinaz M GadallaClinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
Christine G ParksEpidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Sonja I BerndtOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
Laura E Beane FreemanOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
Gabriella AndreottiOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA.
Jonathan N HofmannOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA. Electronic address: hofmannjn@mail.nih.gov.

Funding

STUDIES OF OCCUPATIONAL CANCER--PESTICIDESZ01CP010119 · NCI · DIVISION OF CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GENETICS · PI ALAVANJA, MICHAEL · 1996 to 2008
$5.0M
HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURES IN AGRICULTUREZ01ES049030 · NIEHS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES · PI SANDLER, DALE P · 1997 to 2008
$889k
Epigenomic and transcriptomic markers of aggressive prostate cancer among African American menK07CA230182 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI BARRY, KATHRYN HUGHES · 2018 to 2023
$827k
Intramural NIH HHS Z01 CP010119Intramural NIH HHS Z01 ES049030NCI NIH HHS K07 CA230182
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Previous epidemiological studies have reported increased risks of certain cancers in relation to pesticide exposures. Although the biologic mechanisms underlying these associations are not well understood, altered telomere length has been hypothesized to play a role. We examined associations between occupational use of specific pesticides and leukocyte telomere length in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study, a molecular epidemiological investigation of pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. Relative telomere length (RTL) was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in leukocytes from 1539 male pesticide applicators ≥50 years of age. We evaluated lifetime use of 47 pesticides in terms of self-reported ever use and intensity-weighted lifetime days (IWLDs), a metric integrating lifetime days of use and other factors influencing exposure. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate percent difference in geometric mean RTL in relation to ever (vs. never) use, IWLDs of use, and timing of use [recent (last 12 months) and former vs. never use]. Mean RTL was significantly longer among ever users of the insecticides lindane (percent difference = 2.20%, 95%CI: 0.45%, 3.99%) and aldicarb (percent difference = 3.27%, 95%CI: 0.23%, 6.40%). Longer RTL was also associated with increasing IWLDs of lindane (highest quartile vs. never use: percent difference = 4.51%, 95%CI: -0.22%, 9.46%; p-trend = 0.048) and the insecticide diazinon (4.77%, 95%CI: 0.17%, 9.58%; p-trend = 0.055), and with recent use of the insecticide dichlorvos (vs. never use: 8.15%, 95%CI: 1.31%, 15.46%). Increasing IWLDs of the insecticide heptachlor and the herbicide 2,4,5-TP and recent use of the herbicide metolachlor were significantly associated with shorter RTL. Our findings provide novel evidence suggesting that use of certain pesticides is associated with altered leukocyte telomere length. Notably, diazinon and lindane have previously been associated with increased risks of lung and lymphoid malignancies, respectively, and longer leukocyte telomere length has been implicated in the development of these cancers.

Indexed as

LeukocytesOccupational ExposurePesticidesTelomereAgedAgricultureBiomarkersFarmersHumansIowaMaleMiddle AgedNorth CarolinaBiomarkersPesticidesAgricultureOccupational exposuresPesticidesTelomere length

Identifiers

PMID39986429
PMCPMC12150391

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.