Genetic variants in ARID5B and CEBPE are childhood ALL susceptibility loci in Hispanics.

Recent genome-wide studies conducted in European Whites have identified novel susceptibility genes for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We sought to examine whether these loci are susceptibility genes among Hispanics, whose reported incidence of childhood ALL is the highest of all ethnic groups in California, and whether their effects differ between Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). We genotyped 13 variants in these genes among 706 Hispanic (300 cases, 406 controls) and 594 NHW (225 cases, 369 controls) participants in a matched population-based case-control study in California. We found significant associations for the five studied ARID5B variants in both Hispanics (p values of 1.0 × 10(-9) to 0.004) and NHWs (p values of 2.2 × 10(-6) to 0.018). Risk estimates were in the same direction in both groups (ORs of 1.53-1.99 and 1.37-1.84, respectively) and strengthened when restricted to B-cell precursor high-hyperdiploid ALL (>50 chromosomes; ORs of 2.21-3.22 and 1.67-2.71, respectively). Similar results were observed for the single CEBPE variant. Hispanics and NHWs exhibited different susceptibility loci at CDKN2A. Although IKZF1 loci showed significant susceptibility effects among NHWs (p < 1 × 10(-5)), their effects among Hispanics were in the same direction but nonsignificant, despite similar minor allele frequencies. Future studies should examine whether the observed effects vary by environmental, immunological, or lifestyle factors

Household Exposure to Paint and Petroleum Solvents, Chromosomal Translocations, and the Risk of Childhood Leukemia

BackgroundFew studies have examined the association between home use of solvents and paint and the risk of childhood leukemia.ObjectivesIn this case-control study, we examined whether the use of paint and petroleum solvents at home before birth and in early childhood influenced the risk of leukemia in children.MethodsWe based our analyses on 550 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 100 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and one or two controls per case individually matched for sex, age, Hispanic status, and race. We conducted further analyses by cytogenetic subtype. We used conditional logistic regression techniques to adjust for income.ResultsALL risk was significantly associated with paint exposure [odds ratio (OR) = 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26-2.15], with a higher risk observed when paint was used postnatally, by a person other than the mother, or frequently. The association was restricted to leukemia with translocations between chromosomes 12 and 21 (OR = 4.16; 95% CI, 1.66-10.4). We found no significant association between solvent use and ALL risk overall (OR = 1.15; 95% CI, 0.87-1.51) or for various cytogenetic subtypes, but we observed a significant association in the 2.0- to 5.9-year age group (OR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.07-2.25). In contrast, a significant increased risk for AML was associated with solvent (OR = 2.54; 95% CI, 1.19-5.42) but not with paint exposure (OR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.32-1.25).ConclusionsThe association of ALL risk with paint exposure was strong, consistent with a causal relationship, but further studies are needed to confirm the association of ALL and AML risk with solvent exposure

Haplotypes of DNA repair and cell cycle control genes, X-ray exposure, and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

[[abstract]]Background: Acute leukemias of childhood are a heterogeneous group of malignancies characterized by cytogenetic abnormalities, such as translocations and changes in ploidy. These abnormalities may be influenced by altered DNA repair and cell cycle control processes. Methods: We examined the association between childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 32 genes in DNA repair and cell cycle pathways using a haplotype-based approach, among 377 childhood ALL cases and 448 controls enrolled during 1995-2002. Results: We found that haplotypes in APEX1, BRCA2, ERCC2, and RAD51 were significantly associated with total ALL, while haplotypes in NBN and XRCC4, and CDKN2A were associated with structural and numerical change subtypes, respectively. In addition, we observed statistically significant interaction between exposure to 3 or more diagnostic X-rays and haplotypes of XRCC4 on risk of structural abnormality-positive childhood ALL. Conclusions: These results support a role of altered DNA repair and cell cycle processes in the risk of childhood ALL, and show that this genetic susceptibility can differ by cytogenetic subtype and may be modified by exposure to ionizing radiation. To our knowledge, our study is the first to broadly examine the DNA repair and cell cycle pathways using a haplotype approach in conjunction with X-ray exposures in childhood ALL risk. If confirmed, future studies are needed to identify specific functional SNPs in the regions of interest identified in this analysis

Printed in U.S.A. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwh317 Food Consumption by Children and the Risk of Childhood Acute Leukemia

The possible relation between child’s early diet and risk of childhood leukemia has remained largely unexplored. The authors ’ objective was to determine what particular foods consumed early in life (first 2 years) are associated with risk of childhood leukemia in a 1995–2002 case-control study of a diverse California population. Dietary data were obtained from a questionnaire administered to the child’s caregiver. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyze 328 case-control sets matched on age, sex, Hispanic status, and maternal race. Regular consumption of oranges/bananas (odds ratio = 0.49, 95 % confidence interval: 0.26, 0.94) and orange juice (odds ratio = 0.54, 95 % confidence interval: 0.31, 0.94) during the first 2 years of life was associated with a reduction in risk of childhood leukemia diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 14 years. Restricting the analysis to leukemia diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 5 years reflected a similar pattern of reduced risk. No association between eating hot dogs/lunch meats and risk of leukemia was found. These results suggest that fruits or fruit juices that contain vitamin C and/or potassium may reduce the risk of childhood leukemia, especially if they are consumed on a regular basis during the first 2 years of life. ascorbic acid; case-control studies; child; diet; epidemiologic methods; leukemia; nutrition Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; NCCLS, Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study; OR, odds ratio. Nutrition has been implicated in possibly reducing the ris

C-C3-01: Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors in the Cancer Research Network

Background and Aims: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer face unique challenges related to their stage of physiological and psychosocial development, yet their diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship experiences remain poorly understood. To ascertain the CRN’s potential to address these issues, we examined the characteristics of and available follow-up time among AYA diagnosed with cancer at two CRN sites

Maternal Dietary Risk Factors in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Objective: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, and the second most common cause of mortality in children aged 1--14 years. Recent research has established that the disease can originate in utero, and thus maternal diet may be an important risk factor for ALL

Household exposure to paint and petroleum solvents, chromosomal translocations, and the risk of childhood leukemia.

BackgroundFew studies have examined the association between home use of solvents and paint and the risk of childhood leukemia.ObjectivesIn this case-control study, we examined whether the use of paint and petroleum solvents at home before birth and in early childhood influenced the risk of leukemia in children.MethodsWe based our analyses on 550 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 100 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and one or two controls per case individually matched for sex, age, Hispanic status, and race. We conducted further analyses by cytogenetic subtype. We used conditional logistic regression techniques to adjust for income.ResultsALL risk was significantly associated with paint exposure [odds ratio (OR) = 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26-2.15], with a higher risk observed when paint was used postnatally, by a person other than the mother, or frequently. The association was restricted to leukemia with translocations between chromosomes 12 and 21 (OR = 4.16; 95% CI, 1.66-10.4). We found no significant association between solvent use and ALL risk overall (OR = 1.15; 95% CI, 0.87-1.51) or for various cytogenetic subtypes, but we observed a significant association in the 2.0- to 5.9-year age group (OR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.07-2.25). In contrast, a significant increased risk for AML was associated with solvent (OR = 2.54; 95% CI, 1.19-5.42) but not with paint exposure (OR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.32-1.25).ConclusionsThe association of ALL risk with paint exposure was strong, consistent with a causal relationship, but further studies are needed to confirm the association of ALL and AML risk with solvent exposure