Prenatal Exposure to Air Toxics and Malignant Germ Cell Tumors in Young Children

• Published in: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine Vol. 61; no. 6; p. 529
• Main Authors: Hall, Clinton, Heck, Julia E, Ritz, Beate, Cockburn, Myles, Escobedo, Loraine A, von Ehrenstein, Ondine S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - toxicity; California - epidemiology; Child, Preschool; Endodermal Sinus Tumor - epidemiology; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Humans; Odds Ratio; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Registries; Teratoma - epidemiology; Vehicle Emissions - toxicity; California
• ISSN: 1536-5948
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001609

To assess prenatal air toxics exposure and risk for childhood germ cell tumors (GCTs) by histological subtype (yolk sac tumor and teratoma). In this case-control study, GCT cases less than 6 years (n = 243) identified from California Cancer Registry records were matched by birth year to cancer-free population controls (n = 147,100), 1984 to 2013. Routinely monitored air toxic exposures were linked to subjects' birth address. Logistic regression estimated GCT risks per interquartile range increase in exposure. Prenatal exposure to various highly-correlated, traffic-related air toxics during the second trimester increased GCT risk, particularly 1,3-butadiene (odds ratio [OR] = 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 2.26) and meta/para-xylene (OR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.10, 2.21). Analyses by subtype indicated elevated ORs for yolk sac tumors but not teratomas. Our estimated ORs are consistent with positive associations between some prenatal traffic-related air toxics and GCT risk, notably yolk sac tumors.