Serum Organochlorine Pesticide Residues and Risk of Testicular Germ Cell Carcinoma: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Biggs, Mary L. and Davis, Mark D. and Eaton, David L. and Weiss, Noel S. and Barr, Dana B. and Doody, David R. and Fish, Sherianne and Needham, Larry L. and Chen, Chu and Schwartz, Stephen M. (2008) Serum Organochlorine Pesticide Residues and Risk of Testicular Germ Cell Carcinoma: A Population-Based Case-Control Study. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prevention , 17. pp. 2012-2018. ISSN 1538-7755

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Abstract

Testicular germ cell carcinoma (TGCC) is the most common malignancy among men aged 20-34. Although the pathogenesis of TGCC is poorly understood, sub-optimal androgen levels or impaired androgen signaling may play a role. Some persistent organochlorine pesticides commonly found in human tissue possess anti-androgenic properties. We examined whether the risk of TGCC is associated with serum levels of 11 organochlorine pesticides, including p,p’-DDE, and whether the p,p-DDE-TGCC association is modified by CAG or GGN repeat polymorphisms in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. We conducted a population-based case-control study among 18-44 year-old male residents of three Washington State counties. Cases (n=246) were diagnosed during 1999-2003 with a first, primary TGCC. Controls (n=630) were men of similar age with no history of TGCC from the same population identified through random-digit telephone dialing. Questionnaires elicited information on demographic, medical, and lifestyle factors. A blood specimen provided serum for gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of organochlorine pesticide residues, and DNA for genotyping. We observed no clear patterns between TGCC risk and concentrations of any of the organochlorines measured, nor did we observe that the risk associated with p,p’-DDE was modified by AR CAG (<23 vs.23+ repeats) or GGN (<17 vs.17+ repeats) genotype. This study does not provide support for the hypothesis that adult exposure to organochlorine pesticides is associated with risk of TGCC. Due to uncertainty regarding how well organochlorine levels measured in adulthood reflect exposures during early life, further research is needed using exposure measurements collected in utero or during infancy.

Item Type:	Article or Abstract
DOI:	10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-08-0032
PubMed ID:	18708392
NIHMSID:	NIHMS56473
PMCID:	PMC2766345
Grant Numbers:	R01 CA085914-09, R01 CA095790-04, T32 ES007262-15
Keywords or MeSH Headings:	Adolescent Adult Case-Control Studies Environmental Exposure/adverse effects Genotype Humans Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/blood Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/toxicity* Interviews as Topic Male Microsatellite Repeats Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/blood Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/chemically induced* Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/epidemiology Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/genetics Pesticides/blood Pesticides/toxicity* Questionnaires Regression Analysis Risk Testicular Neoplasms/blood Testicular Neoplasms/chemically induced* Testicular Neoplasms/epidemiology Testicular Neoplasms/genetics Washington/epidemiology
Subjects:	Molecules > Carcinogens Diseases > Solid tumors Molecules > Hormones Research Methodologies > Epidemiology > Risk assessment
Depositing User:	Library Staff
Date Deposited:	17 Sep 2008 23:26
Last Modified:	14 Feb 2012 14:42
URI:	http://authors.fhcrc.org/id/eprint/14

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