Table 4.
Studies from Latin American countries showing association between arsenic exposure and lung cancer mortality and incidence
| Reference | County | Design | Characteristics of subjects | Measure | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopenhayn-Rich et al. (1998) | Argentina | Ecological | Population data from Cordoba (~2,750,000) | Lung cancer mortality SMR (95% CI) |
Lung cancer: Men 0.92 (0.85–0.98), 1.54 (1.44–1.64), 1.77(1.63–1.90), Women: 1.24 (1.06–1.42), 1.34 (1.12–1.58), 2.16 (1.83–2.52) with increasing water As conc. (<40, 40–178, and >178 ug/L). |
| Smith et al. (1998) | Chile | Ecological | Roughly 400,000 individuals in Region II (exposure: 570 µg/L from 1955–1969, decreased to less than 100 µg/L by 1980) |
Lung cancer mortality SMR (95% CI) |
Men: 3.8 (3.5–4.1) Women: 3.1 (2.7–3.7)) |
| Ferreccio et al. (2000) | Chile | Case-Control | 152 lung cancer cases and 419 controls | Lung cancer OR (95% CI) |
1.6 (0.5–5.3), 3.9 (1.2–12.3), 5.2 (2.3–11.7) and 8.9 (4.0–19.6) with increasing water As conc. (<10, 10–29, 30–49, 50–199 and 200– 400 ug/L). |
| Smith et al. (2006) | Chile | Ecological | Region II compared to the remaining regions of Chile (Region II exposure ~870 µg/L As in drinking water, 1958–1970) |
Lung cancer mortality SMR (95% CI) |
Early life exposure: 7.0 (5.4–8.9), and In utero exposure: 6.1 (3.5–9.9) |
| Marshall et al. (2007) | Chile | Ecologic | Mortality data on 525,715 from Region II and Region V between 1950 and 2000 |
Lung cancer mortality RR (95% CI) |
Men: 3.61(3.13–4.16) Women: 3.26 (2.50–4.23) |
| Steinmaus et al. (2010) | Argentina | Case-control | 45 lung cancer cases and 75 controls | Lung cancer OR (95% CI) |
3.09 (1.08–8.81), upper tertile %MMA compared to the lowest tertile |
| Effects of arsenic exposure on biomarker and chronic diseases observed in Latin American countries | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference | County | Design | Characteristics of subjects | Measure | Result |
| Garcia-Vargas et al. (1991) | Mexico | Cohort | 21 and 19 individuals exposed to water As 0.390 mg/L and 0.012 mg/L respectively. |
Indicators of heme metabolism | An inversion of the coproporphyrin/uroporphyrin (COPRO/ URO) ratio was observed in most exposed individuals. This was caused by a decrease in coproporphyrin excretion and an increase in uroporphyrin excretion. |
| Garcia-Vargas et al. (1994) | Mexico | Cohort | 36 and 31 individuals exposed to water As: 0.400 mg/L and 0.020 mg/L respectively. |
Indicators of heme metabolism | Significant reductions in coproporphyrin III excretion resulting in decreases in the COPRO III/COPROI ratio, and an increases in uroporphyrin excretion in As exposed individuals. |
| Hernandez-Zavala et al. (1999) | Mexico | Cohort | 17 individuals from 3 villages with water As conc: 0.3 mg/L, 0.4 mg/L, 0.014 mg As/L | Indicators of heme metabolism | Significant increases in porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG-D) and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (URO- D) activities in peripheral blood erythrocytes; increases in the urinary excretion of total porphyrins, and increases in the COPRO/URO and COPROIII/COPROI ratios in highly exposed individuals. |
| Smith et al. (2000) | Chile | Cross-sectional | 44 and 31 participants drinking water As 750–800 µg/L, and 10 µg/L respectively | Overall prevalence with more than 20 years residence |
Skin lesion prevalence among exposed: 67% (95% CI = 22–96%) |
| Rosales-Castillo et al. (2004) | Mexico | Case-control | 42 cases, 48 controls (previous exposure to drinking water As 416 µg/L and 12 µg/L) | OR non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) |
16.5 (P = 0.001), high arsenic exposure and HPV seropositivity |
| Smith et al. (2006) | Chile | Ecological | Region II compared to the remaining regions of Chile (Region II exposure ~870 µg/L As in drinking water, 1958–1970) |
Bronchiectasis mortality SMR (95% CI) |
Born just before the high-exposure period (1950–1957): 12.4(3.3–31.7). Born during the high-exposure period: 46.2 (21.1–87.7) |
| Coronado-Gonzalez et al. (2007) | Mexico | Case-control | 200 diabetics and 200 controls | Diabetes prevalence OR (95% CI) |
2.16 (1.23–3.79) and 2.84 (1.64 −4.92) with increasing urinary As |
| Yuan et al. (2007) | Chile | Ecological | Mortality from 1950 to 2000 in the As- exposed region II of Chile (population: 477,000 in 2000) in compared to the unexposed region V. |
Mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) RR (95% CI) |
1.48 (1.37–1.59), p < 0.001), men; 1.26 (1.14–1.40), p < 0.001), women |
| Valenzuela et al. (2009) | Mexico | Case-control | 71 cases with skin lesions and 51 controls | Risk of skin lesions OR (95% CI) |
Skin lesion risk: 4.28 (1.0–18.5), carriers of C (TC+CC) allele (Thr) |
| Yuan et al. (2010) | Chile | Ecological | Arsenic endemic region II compared unexposed region V. |
Peak kidney caner mortality in 1981– 1985 RR (95% CI) |
Male: 3.4 (2.2–5.1) Female: 4.4 (3.0–6.4) Early-life exposure 7.1 (3.1–14) |