CD1a-positive infiltrating-dendritic cell density and 5-year survival from human breast cancer

© Churchill LivingstoneInfiltrating CD1a+ dendritic cells (DCs) have been associated with increased survival in a number of human cancers. This study investigated DC infiltration within breast cancers and the association with survival. Classical established prognostic factors, of tumour size, lymph node status, histological grade, lympho-vascular invasion, the KI-67 (MIB-1) fraction and the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) were also compared. A total of 48 breast cancer patients were followed from the time of surgery and CD1a density analysis for 5 years or until death. Our data set validated previous studies, which show a relationship between survival and the NPI (P<0.001), tumour size (P<0.01) and lymph node status (P<0.05). Although more patients were alive at the 5-year time point in the group with higher CD1a DC density than the lower CD1a DC group, this failed to reach statistical significance at the P=0.05 level. Analysis at 10 years postsurgery is required to investigate the association further.B.J.Coventry and J. Morto

Eosinophils in glioblastoma biology

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. The development of this malignant glial lesion involves a multi-faceted process that results in a loss of genetic or epigenetic gene control, un-regulated cell growth, and immune tolerance. Of interest, atopic diseases are characterized by a lack of immune tolerance and are inversely associated with glioma risk. One cell type that is an established effector cell in the pathobiology of atopic disease is the eosinophil. In response to various stimuli, the eosinophil is able to produce cytotoxic granules, neuromediators, and pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as pro-fibrotic and angiogenic factors involved in pathogen clearance and tissue remodeling and repair. These various biological properties reveal that the eosinophil is a key immunoregulatory cell capable of influencing the activity of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Of central importance to this report is the observation that eosinophil migration to the brain occurs in response to traumatic brain injury and following certain immunotherapeutic treatments for GBM. Although eosinophils have been identified in various central nervous system pathologies, and are known to operate in wound/repair and tumorstatic models, the potential roles of eosinophils in GBM development and the tumor immunological response are only beginning to be recognized and are therefore the subject of the present review

Lung cancer risk in painters: a meta-analysis

We conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively compare the association between occupation as a painter and the incidence or mortality from lung cancer. PubMed and the reference lists of pertinent publications were searched and reviewed. For the meta-analysis, we used data from 47 independent cohort, record linkage, and case-control studies (from a total of 74 reports), including > 11,000 incident cases or deaths from lung cancer among painters. Three authors independently abstracted data and assessed study quality. The summary relative risk (meta-RR, random effects) for lung cancer in paint-ers was 1.35 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.29-1.41; 47 studies] and 1.35 (95% CI, 1.21-1.51; 27 studies) after controlling for smoking. The relative risk was higher in never-smokers (meta-RR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.09-3.67; 3studies) and persisted when restricted to studies that adjusted for other occupational exposures (meta-RR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.21-2.04; 5 studies). These results support the conclusion that occupational exposures in painters are causally associated with the risk of lung cancer

Acute leukemia in electrical workers: a New Zealand case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risks for adult-onset acute leukemia associated with electrical employment in New Zealand. METHODS: The occupational and environmental exposures histories of 110 incident leukemia cases and 199 general population controls were compared. The cases were recruited through referrals to treatment centers in New Zealand between 1989 and 1991. For subjects classified as having worked in one or more of the "electrical occupations," the degree of exposures to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) was assessed in detail using a job-exposure matrix. RESULTS: An odds ratio of 1.9 (95% Cl 1.0-3.8) was found for subjects who had ever worked in an electrical occupation. Significantly increased risks for leukemia are seen amongst welders/flame cutters (OR = 2.8 (95% CI 1.2-6.8)) and telephone line workers (OR = 5.81 (95% CI 1.2-27.8)). The excess leukemia risk appeared to be confined to acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (OR=2.31 (95% CI 1.2-4.6)), in comparison to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (OR = 0.9 (95% CI 0.3-2.9)) but for the latter category the numbers were very small. A dose-response effect was also found, with acute leukemia risk rising with increasing occupational magnetic field exposure, based on both current and historical occupational field exposure estimates. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study indicate a significantly elevated risk of acute leukemia for electrical workers overall, and for the specific occupational categories of welders/flame cutters and telephone line workers. A dose-response effect was also found, indicating that acute leukemia risk was related to historical and current magnetic field exposures in an occupational context

Adult-onset acute leukemia and employment in the meat industry: a New Zealand case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risks for adult-onset acute leukemia associated with employment in the New Zealand meat industry. METHODS: A total of 110 incident leukemia cases identified from referrals to one of six treatment centers between 1989 and 1991 were compared with 199 general population controls. Detailed occupational exposure histories were obtained by interview. RESULTS: There was an elevated risk associated with ever having worked in an abattoir (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.0-5.2), which appeared confined to those with over 2 years exposure (OR = 4.9, 95% CI 1.5-15.6). The excess risk was confined to abattoir workers having direct contact with animals or animal products (OR = 5.2 95% CI 1.2-22.2). Ever having worked as a butcher was associated with elevated risk (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.1-7.2), confined to those individuals who worked as a butcher in an abattoir (OR = 4.8) or who butchered livestock on farms (OR = 8.2). No increased risk was found for work as a retail/wholesale butcher or meatpacker (OR = 1.2). CONCLUSIONS: This study found increased leukemia risks associated with employment in the meat industry. These were confined to abattoir workers with over 2 years employment in the industry, and to persons whose jobs involved contact with animals or animal tissue, implying that biological exposures may be responsible