We evaluated transcriptomic and epigenomic data (epidemiological and clinical) in the range of environmental exposures for three chemicals: a) benzene and other leukemogens (McHale et al.
* Adverse outcome networks (AON) to identify mechanistic commonalties among leukemogens and lifestyle factors (diet and stress) that alter leukemia risks (U.S.
* AONs, once verified for accuracy, are useful in predicting specific hazards [e.g., benzene and other known leukemogens (hematotoxicity) (U.S.
Using bioinformatic approaches to identify pathways targeted by human leukemogens. Int J Environ Res Public Health 9:2479-2503.
It should be noted that while benzene is considered a known hematotoxicant and leukemogen, the benzene exposed population from which the toxicogenomic biomarkers were characterized at this time only show hematotoxicity (U.S.
Throwing away radiation dose (i.e., lagging), supposedly because of "dose wasting," is common in some research groups that apparently are not aware that the thrown-away dose may have stimulated the body's natural defenses (7) and thereby protected some members of the population from leukemia induction by other
leukemogens. In such cases the dose is not wasted!
The workers were considered to have no other substantial workplace exposures; therefore, the possibility of biased potency estimates due to other leukemogens was small.
Other known or suspected leukemogens are present in cigarette smoke, including urethane (30,35), 1,3-butadiene (32,36), radioactive elements (37,38), N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine (30,39), and styrene (30,40); benzene is therefore unlikely to be independently responsible for all smoking-induced leukemia.
The Pliofilm cohort is well suited to minimize the possible confounding effects of other leukemogens because the industrial process did not involve exposure to other potential carcinogens.
These additional leukemogens may provide synergistic effects as well as independent contributions to smoking-related leukemia mortality.
Our findings show that models with linear terms produce estimates consistent with known smoking-induced risks and with the presence of other leukemogens in mainstream and sidestream smoke.