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Biomedical subjects

B Burroughs

Publications and source records attributed to B Burroughs.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Pesticide appliers with mixed pesticide exposure: G-banded analysis and possible relationship to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

To further investigate the possible relationships between agricultural pesticide exposure and the increased risk of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma among farm workers in the north central United States, we performed G-banded chromosome analyses of peripheral blood from workers classified according to primary types of pesticide exposure: herbicides (n = 20), insecticides (n = 18), fumigants (n = 23), and occupationally unexposed controls (n = 33). Significantly increased rearrangement frequencies were demonstrated in fumigant and insecticide appliers compared to control subjects. At certain chromosome bands there were significant excesses of breaks observed in pesticide appliers, but no breaks were observed in controls. Some of these bands contained genes with potential implications for cancer risk, including oncogenes and genes involved in tumor suppression and apoptosis. Of particular interest with regard to lymphoma risk were the excess rearrangement and breaks involving band 14q32 in fumigant appliers and the excess breaks involving band 18q21 in herbicide appliers; translocations linking 14q32 and 18q21 are the most common rearrangements observed in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients. The potential pathobiological relevance of these cytogenetic events warrants additional investigation at the molecular level.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
PubMed1983

Pregnancy in patients with cystic fibrosis.

As more patients with cystic fibrosis reach adulthood, questions arise about the potential hazards of pregnancy. We reviewed the medical records of eight women with cystic fibrosis who had a total of 11 completed pregnancies and had been evaluated within 1 year before conception. In five women (Group 1), the overall maternal condition was little affected by the pregnancy, and in three women (Group 2), the mother's condition deteriorated during and after pregnancy and did not return to the pregravid state. With regard to pregravid status, significant differences between patients in Group 1 and Group 2 were found in Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical scores, weight for height values, Brasfield chest radiograph scores, and pulmonary function. A quantitative assessment of pregravid nutritional and pulmonary status is useful in counseling women with cystic fibrosis about the risk of pregnancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Herbicides and adjuvants: an evolving view.

The present report examines the in vitro genotoxicity (micronucleus assay) of herbicides and adjuvants and reports on an in vivo human study on potential endocrine effects of pesticides, including herbicides. Adjuvants are used in conjunction with 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and other herbicides. Earlier pesticide applier survey results (n = 709) show that 59% of the applicators used adjuvants, and the majority of this group used paraffinic oils and/or surfactant mixtures. As a beginning effort to explore the role of adjuvants and herbicides in hormonally based reproductive effects, a prospective, controlled study was performed to analyze blood specimens from three different exposure groups (applicators using herbicides only; applicators using both herbicides and insecticides; and applicators using fumigants in addition to herbicides and insecticides; and a control group composed of other agricultural workers including organic farmers). The applicators and controls were age- and smoking-matched. Study subjects (n = 78) were tested before, during, and after completion of pesticide application season for the effects of pesticide products on hormone levels in the bloodstream. Of the applicator exposure groups examined, only the herbicide group showed significant endocrinologic differences from controls. Free testosterone levels were significantly elevated in post-season measurements (p = 0.032), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was significantly decreased at the height of the season (p = 0.016) and in the post-season (p = 0.010) as compared to controls. These endocrinologic findings are discussed in terms of their possible relationship to potential endocrine effects of herbicides, herbicide contaminants, and adjuvants. In vitro genotoxicity examination compared four different commercially available surfactant mixtures with 12 different commercial herbicide products, including six different chlorophenoxy herbicides. Only one herbicide yielded a significant dose-response curve. All four adjuvants showed positive dose-response effects. These preliminary data suggest that adjuvants are not inert but are toxicologically active components added to herbicide mixtures. Whether adjuvant toxicant effects are additive or are independent of herbicide effects is poorly understood.

Adult↗