Follow-Up Investigation of B-Cell Abnormalities Identified in Previous ATSDR211 Health Studies

摘要

To evaluate potential adverse health effects of low-level environmental exposure211u001eto hazardous substances, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 211u001e(ATSDR) has developed standardized biomarker test panels. A total of more than 211u001e50,000 immune biomarker tests have been completed on approximately 6,000 211u001eindividuals. Flow cytometric immunophenotypic showed a striking number of people 211u001ewith B-cell abnormalities suggestive of a pre-clinical B-cell lymphoproliferative 211u001edisorder, particularly among the potentially exposed, or 'target area', 211u001eparticipants. A medical follow-up (FU) investigation was conducted to determine 211u001eif (1) the B-cell abnormality had persisted, (2) the B-cell abnormality was due 211u001eto a monoclonal B-cell population, and (3) target-area residence carried any 211u001eincreased risk. Of these eligible individuals, 95% (74 of 78) could be traced; 211u001e82% (61 of 74) agreed to participate. Follow-up testing included routine flow 211u001ecytometric immunophenotyping, light-chain surface immunoglobulin clonal analysis, 211u001eand molecular clonal analysis for immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement 211u001eand bcl-2 t(14;18) translocation.