RESUMO
Crude oil production (COP) is a high-pollution industry but the vast Amazon rainforest has been an active COP zone for South America. Although COP has been associated with a variety of health effects among workers around the world, such effects have not been adequately investigated in the Amazon region, especially at the community level. Therefore, this review was conducted to provide a report about COP in the Amazon of Ecuador and about its association with health status of indigenous human populations. Some epidemiological surveys in the Amazonian Territories indicate that COP has been associated with health problems in the surrounding populations, e.g. cancers in the stomach, rectum, skin, soft tissue, kidney and cervix in adults, and leukemia in children. In addition, some biomarkers and mechanistic studies show exposure effects. However, due to limitations from these studies, contradictory associations have been reported. Our review indicates that COP in the Amazonian territories of northern Ecuador was characterised by contamination which could have affected the indigenous and non-indigenous populations. However, there have not been dedicated investigations to provide relationships between the contamination and the subsequent exposure-health effects. Since indigenous populations have different lifestyle and cultures from regular city dwellers, systematic studies on their potential health hazards need to be conducted. Due to the remote locations and sparse populations, these new studies may involve the use of novel and genomic-based biomarkers as well as using high technology in the remote regions.
Assuntos
Petróleo , Equador , Exposição Ambiental , Humanos , Saúde PúblicaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer represents a major health problem in Venezuela as well as in other Latin American countries. High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is known as the major risk factor of cervical cancer. However, whether or not a HR-HPV-infected woman progresses to cervical cancer may depend on the immune system effectors induced by viral antigens presented by her specific human leukocyte antigens (HLA) alleles. The role of the HLA system in presenting peptides to antigen-specific T-cells may be critical for genetic susceptibility and genetic resistance to cervical carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the relationship between HLA-DQB1, HPV infection, and cervical cancer in Venezuelan women. METHODS: Blood samples and cervical swabs were obtained from 36 patients and 79 healthy controls; additional cervical biopsies were obtained from all the patients. HPV DNA was detected by PCR and HLA-DQB1 genotyping was performed using a PCR-SSP protocol. RESULTS.: A positive association with cervical cancer was observed for HLA-DQB1*0201-0202 and *0402 alleles, however after Bonferroni correction only HLA-DQB1*0402 remained statistically significant (P value = 0.004, RR = 5.067). CONCLUSION: This is the first report of HLA-DQB1 alleles associated with cervical carcinoma in Venezuelan women. Larger studies are needed to assess whether these HLA-DQB1*0201-0202 and *0402 alleles have a direct effect on disease susceptibility.
Assuntos
Antígenos HLA-DQ/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/imunologia , Adulto , Idoso , Alelos , Feminino , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Genótipo , Antígenos HLA-DQ/sangue , Cadeias beta de HLA-DQ , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Papillomaviridae , Infecções por Papillomavirus/complicações , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/virologia , VenezuelaRESUMO
We have studied cervical cancer (CC) patients from Venezuela and the US to elucidate the contribution of certain acquired and genetic susceptibility factors to the development of the disease. For acquired susceptibility factors, infection with high risk human papilloma virus (HPV), having multiple sex partners and having early sexual activities are significant risk factors for CC in Venezuela. The latter two are not significant risk factors for the US population. Infection with high risk HPV is a more significant risk factor for the US than the Venezuela populations. On the other hand, cigarette smoking is significantly associated with CC in the US but not the Venezuela populations. From genetic susceptibility factors, polymorphisms in the CYP2E1 and mEH genes are not associated with CC but the GSTM1 null genotype is for the US population. Our study indicates that the same susceptibility factors can have very different roles in the development of the same disease such as CC in different countries. The information is useful for the development of effective but different disease prevention programs for different countries in the control of CC.