Maternal exposure to magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines and the risk of birth defects

Details

Published on Tuesday, 31 July 2012 18:05

Malagoli C, Crespi CM, Rodolfi R, Signorelli C, Poli M, Zanichelli P, Fabbi S, Teggi S, Garavelli L, Astolfi G, Calzolari E, Lucenti C, Vinceti M.
Bioelectromagnetics. 2012 Jul;33(5):405-9. PMID: 22826845

Abstract

The issue of adverse human health effects due to exposure to electromagnetic fields is still unclear, and congenital anomalies are among the outcomes that have been inconsistently associated with such exposure. We conducted a population-based, case-control study to examine the risk of congenital anomalies associated with maternal exposure to magnetic fields (MF) from high-voltage power lines during pregnancy in a community in northern Italy. We identified 228 cases of congenital malformations diagnosed in live births, stillbirths, and induced abortions among women living in the municipality of Reggio Emilia during the period 1998-2006, and a reference group of healthy newborns was matched for year of birth, maternal age, and hospital of birth. We identified maternal residence during early pregnancy and used Geographic Information System to determine whether the residences were within geocoded corridors with MF ≥0.1 μT near high-voltage power lines, then calculated the relative risk (RR) of congenital anomalies associated with maternal exposure. One case and 5 control mothers were classified as exposed, and the RR associated with MF ≥0.1 μT was 0.2 (95% CI: 0.0-2.0) after adjusting for maternal education. While small or moderate effects may have gone undetected due to low statistical power, the results of this study overall do not provide support for major effects of a teratogenic risk due to exposure to MF during early pregnancy. 

A case-control study of the risk of cutaneous melanoma associated with three selenium exposure indicators

Details

Published on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 16:52

Vinceti M, Crespi CM, Malagoli C, Bottecchi I, Ferrari A, Sieri S, Krogh V, Alber D, Bergomi M, Seidenari S, Pellacani G.

Tumori. 2012 May-Jun;98(3):287-95 PMID: 22825502

Abstract

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: A direct association between exposure to the metalloid selenium and risk of cutaneous melanoma has been suggested by some observational and experimental cohort studies, whereas other studies have yielded inconsistent results. Since some of the inconsistencies may be due to exposure misclassification arising from the use of exposure indicators that do not adequately reflect body tissue selenium content or the levels of the biologically relevant species of this metalloid, we examined this issue using multiple indicators of exposure.

METHODS: We analyzed the relation of selenium exposure with risk of cutaneous melanoma using two different biomarkers, plasma and toenail selenium concentration, and estimated dietary selenium intake in a population-based case-control series (54 cases, 56 controls) from an Italian community.

RESULTS: In unmatched and matched logistic regression models as well as nonparametric generalized additive models, higher plasma selenium levels were strongly associated with excess disease risk. In contrast, toenail and dietary selenium exhibited little relation with melanoma risk. The pattern of correlation among indicators of exposure differed by disease status, with dietary intake associated with plasma selenium levels in patients but not in controls.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that different selenium exposure indicators can yield different inferences about melanoma risk. Although the series was small, our results are consistent with a positive association between circulating levels of selenium and melanoma risk. Further investigation of the exposure classification performance of various selenium biomarkers and of metabolic patterns of the metalloid and of its speciation are needed to help elucidate the relation between selenium exposure and human health.

     Scarica pdf

Changing incidence and subtypes of ALS in Modena, Italy: A 10-years prospective study

Details

Published on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 18:09

Georgoulopoulou E, Vinceti M, Bonvicini F, Sola P, Goldoni CA, De Girolamo G, Ferraro D, Nichelli P, Mandrioli J.
Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2011 Nov;12(6):451-7. PMID: 21732732

We performed a prospective population-based study to describe the temporal pattern of the incidence and prevalence and the clinical features and phenotypes of ALS in Modena, Italy, from 2000 to 2009. From 2000 onwards, a prospective registry has been collecting all cases of incident ALS among residents in the province of Modena. This source was implemented by cases resulting from the provincial hospitals, and by death certificates. Based on 193 newly diagnosed cases, the crude average annual incidence rate of ALS was 2.9 cases per 100,000 person years (py); adjusted incidence rate was 2.8/100,000. The age-standardized incidence rates increased from 2.6 per 100,000 py in 2000-2004 to 2.9 per 100,000 py in 2005-2009, representing an annual increase of approximately 2% throughout the 10-year period. There was a constant increase in prevalence rates throughout the years of the study (from 5.8/100,000 on 31 December 2000 to 11.2/100,000 on 31 December 2009). Median life time was 29 months for patients diagnosed before the year 2000 and 36 months for patients diagnosed from 1 January 2000 (p <0.01). Thus, we report incidence rates similar to those reported by recent European population based studies, but we observed an increasing trend over the 10 years of the study. The increasing incidence is not explained by aging of the population, and our study raises the question as to whether local environmental or genetic factors are driving this temporal trend. Along with an increasing incidence, we found an important increase in prevalence and survival probably related to access to mutidisciplinary clinics and improvements in symptomatic care of ALS.

Inverse association between dietary vitamin D and risk of cutaneous melanoma in a northern Italy population

Details

Published on Thursday, 30 June 2011 18:10

Vinceti M, Malagoli C, Fiorentini C, Longo C, Crespi CM, Albertini G, Ricci C, Lanzoni A, Reggiani M, Virgili A, Osti F, Lombardi M, Santini M, Fanti PA, Dika E, Sieri S, Krogh V, Seidenari S, Pellacani G.
Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(4):506-13 PMID: 21541899

Abstract

The possibility of an inverse association between vitamin D and risk of cancer and, in particular, of cutaneous malignant melanoma has been suggested, but results of epidemiologic studies are still conflicting. We examined the relation between dietary vitamin D intake and melanoma risk through a population-based case-control study (380 cases, 719 controls) in a northern region of Italy, a country with an average vitamin D intake lower than that in northern Europe or the United States. We assessed average daily intake of vitamin D from foodstuffs using the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. In this population, levels of vitamin D intake were considerably lower than those observed in recent U.S. studies. We found an inverse relation between dietary vitamin D and melanoma risk in the sample as a whole, in both crude and adjusted analyses. In sex- and age-specific analyses, this association appeared to be stronger among males and among older subjects. These findings suggest that, at the relatively low levels of intake observed in this sample, an inverse relation between dietary vitamin D and risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma may exist.

Selenium for preventing cancer

Details

Published on Wednesday, 11 May 2011 18:09

Dennert G, Zwahlen M, Brinkman M, Vinceti M, Zeegers MP, Horneber M.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 May 11;(5):CD005195 PMID: 21563143
Comment in Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2011 Aug;136(34-35):1709.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Selenium is a trace element essential to humans. Higher selenium exposure and selenium supplements have been suggested to protect against several types of cancers. OBJECTIVES: Two research questions were addressed in this review: What is the evidence for1. an aetiological relationship between selenium exposure and cancer risk in women and men?2. the efficacy of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in women and men?
SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched electronic databases and bibliographies of reviews and included publications.
SELECTION CRITERIA: We included prospective observational studies to answer research question (a) and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to answer research question (b).
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We conducted random effects meta-analyses of epidemiological data when five or more studies were retrieved for a specific outcome. We made a narrative summary of data from RCTs.
MAIN RESULTS: We included 49 prospective observational studies and six RCTs. In epidemiologic data, we found a reduced cancer incidence (summary odds ratio (OR) 0.69 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53 to 0.91) and mortality (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.83) with higher selenium exposure. Cancer risk was more pronouncedly reduced in men (incidence: OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.05) than in women (incidence: OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.77). These findings have potential limitations due to study design, quality and heterogeneity of the data, which complicated the interpretation of the summary statistics.The RCTs found no protective efficacy of selenium yeast supplementation against non-melanoma skin cancer or L-selenomethionine supplementation against prostate cancer. Study results for the prevention of liver cancer with selenium supplements were inconsistent and studies had an unclear risk of bias. The results of the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial (NPCT) and SELECT raised concerns about possible harmful effects of selenium supplements.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: No reliable conclusions can be drawn regarding a causal relationship between low selenium exposure and an increased risk of cancer.Despite evidence for an inverse association between selenium exposure and the risk of some types of cancer, these results should be interpreted with care due to the potential limiting factors of heterogeneity and influences of unknown biases, confounding and effect modification.The effect of selenium supplementation from RCTs yielded inconsistent results. To date, there is no convincing evidence that selenium supplements can prevent cancer in men, women or children.