Brain epidemiological studies

Two epidemiological studies of workers exposed to ethylene oxide revealed increased rates of leukemia. In one smdy, two cases of leukemia (0.14 expected) and three stomach cancers (0.4 expected) were observed. The other study found three cases of leukemia (0.2 expected). Because these workers had exposures to other potential carcinogens, the findings cannot be linked with certainty to ethylene oxide. The small cohort size, the small number of deaths, and uncertainties about exposure level have also been noted." A number of other studies have not found an increased rate of cancer mortality from ethylene oxide exposure. A mortality study of over 18,000 ethylene oxide workers from 14 plants producing medical supplies and foodstuffs did not find an excess of leukemia or brain, stomach, or pancreatic cancers. There was, however, an increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma in male workers. A follow-up of 1896 ethylene oxide production workers did not find an increase in mortality from leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or brain, pancreatic, or stomach cancers. ... 

Foote SL, Freedman R, Oliver AP Effects of putative neurotransmitters on neuronal activity in monkey auditory cortex. Brain Res 86 229-242, 1975 Ford DE, Kamerow DB Epidemiologic study of sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders an opportunity for prevention JAMA 262 1479-1484, 1985 Foreman MM, Gehlert DR, Schaus JM Quinelorane, a potent and selective dopamine agonist for the D2-like receptor family. Neurotransmissions 11 1 -5, 1995 Forn J, Valdecasas FG Effects of lithium on brain adenyl cyclase activity. Biochem Pharmacol 20 2773-2779, 1971... 

Cancer. There is no specific evidence from epidemiological studies that diazinon causes cancer in humans. Several studies have reported an increased incidence of cancers (brain tumors, Hodgkin s lymphoma, multiple myelomas) in humans who were concurrently or sequentially exposed to a number of insecticides, including diazinon (Cantor et al. 1992 Davis et al. 1993 Morris et al. 1986). However, it is not possible to attribute the increase in cancer incidence exclusively to diazinon exposure. Consequently, while the findings in these studies suggest an elevated risk for the cancers from high exposure to insecticides, in general, the data are far too limited to be used to evaluate the potential for diazinon to cause cancer in humans. 

Farin A. and Marshall L. F. (2004). Lessons from epidemiologic studies in clinical trials of traumatic brain injury. Acta Neurochir. Suppl 89 101-107. 

The normal brain contains Cox-2, and brains from patients with Alzheimer s disease have been found on autopsy to have induction of Cox-2 (Pasinetti and Aisen, 1998). Epidemiologic studies have found... 

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