| Epidemiology. 2007 Jan;18(1):158-61
Magnetic fields and acute leukemia in children with Down syndrome.
Mejia-Arangure JM, Fajardo-Gutierrez A, Perez-Saldivar ML, Gorodezky C,
Martinez-Avalos A, Romero-Guzman L, Campo-Martinez MA, Flores-Lujano J,
Salamanca-Gomez F, Velasquez-Perez L.
Epidemiologia, Clinica, Hospital de Pediatria, Centro Medico Nacional,
Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico.
juan.mejiaa@imss.gob.mx
BACKGROUND: We analyzed effects of exposure to magnetic
fields on the expression of acute leukemia in children with
Down syndrome (who have a 20-fold higher risk of leukemia).
METHODS: We performed a case-control study that included
42 children with both acute leukemia and Down syndrome as
cases and 124 healthy children with Down syndrome as controls.
We obtained demographic information concerning the children
and took spot measurements of magnetic fields at each residence.
RESULTS: The odds ratio for direct measurements of magnetic fields
>/=6.00 mG was 3.7 (95% confidence interval = 1.05-13.1).
CONCLUSION: The association between magnetic fields and leukemia
in children with Down syndrome suggests the possibility of
a causal role for magnetic fields in the etiology of leukemia
among a genetically susceptible subgroup of children.
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