PARENTAL EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPOLLUTANTS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND EARLY TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN ACUTE LEUKEMIA
- 1Laboratório de Biologia de Tumores, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (UNIOESTE), Francisco Beltrão Campus, PR, Brazil
- 2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fisiopatologia Clínica e Laboratorial, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), Londrina, PR, Brazil
- 3Hospital do Câncer de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil
Abstract
Leukemia is the most common hematological malignancy in the pediatric population, accounting for approximately 30% of all cancer diagnoses among children under 15 years of age. Its etiology involves a complex interplay between genetic susceptibility and environmental risk factors, particularly exposure to carcinogenic agents. In this study, we investigated the impact of parental exposure to micropollutants on the clinicopathological profile and clinical outcomes of offspring diagnosed with acute leukemia.This descriptive, observational study collected data through structured interviews and a standardized questionnaire administered between March 2024 and April 2025. The study population comprised 40 patients aged 0–17 years diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Participants were stratified according to parental exposure status into three groups: a control group (no history of exposure), a micropollutant-exposed group, and a pesticide-exposed group. A high prevalence of parental environmental and occupational exposure to pesticides was observed, with statistically significant differences compared with the control group. Exposure was predominantly reported among mothers and was characterized by direct pesticide handling or application (29%), residence near agricultural areas (52%), and household or occupational contact with pesticides (33%). Correlation analysis revealed that the strongest associations were concentrated among variables related to occupational and environmental pesticide exposure, including direct contact with pesticides, pesticide application by family members, parental involvement in agricultural activities, and residence near agricultural fields. Collectively, these findings identify a cluster of interconnected variables that characterize a shared environmental exposure profile. Regarding disease characteristics, a significant association was observed between parental pesticide exposure and the presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) in offspring at day 28 (D28) of treatment. Given that MRD is one of the most robust prognostic markers in acute leukemia, this finding suggests that parental exposure to pesticides may be associated with a less favorable early treatment response. Although causality cannot be established, these results raise the possibility that transgenerational exposure to environmental contaminants may contribute to a more aggressive disease phenotype and poorer therapeutic outcomes in pediatric acute leukemia.
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BibTeX
@article{menezes2026parental,
title = {{PARENTAL EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPOLLUTANTS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND EARLY TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN ACUTE LEUKEMIA}},
author = {Micael DANGUI MENEZES and Kennia SILVA and Ana Luiza GOULART STARCK and Gustavo SCHROLL DOS PRAZERES and Laura Gabriela CARDOSO and Fausto CELSO TRIGO and Geise ELLEN BROTO and Marla KARINE AMARANTE and Carolina PANIS},
journal = {Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.htct.2026.108418},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.htct.2026.108418},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - PARENTAL EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPOLLUTANTS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND EARLY TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN ACUTE LEUKEMIA
AU - Micael DANGUI MENEZES
AU - Kennia SILVA
AU - Ana Luiza GOULART STARCK
AU - Gustavo SCHROLL DOS PRAZERES
AU - Laura Gabriela CARDOSO
AU - Fausto CELSO TRIGO
AU - Geise ELLEN BROTO
AU - Marla KARINE AMARANTE
AU - Carolina PANIS
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy
DO - 10.1016/j.htct.2026.108418
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.htct.2026.108418
AB - Leukemia is the most common hematological malignancy in the pediatric population, accounting for approximately 30% of all cancer diagnoses among children under 15 years of age. Its etiology involves a complex interplay between genetic susceptibility and environmental risk factors, particularly exposure to carcinogenic agents. In this study, we investigated the impact of parental exposure to micropollutants on the clinicopathological profile and clinical outcomes of offspring diagnosed with acute leukemia.This descriptive, observational study collected data through structured interviews and a standardized questionnaire administered between March 2024 and April 2025. The study population comprised 40 patients aged 0–17 years diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Participants were stratified according to parental exposure status into three groups: a control group (no history of exposure), a micropollutant-exposed group, and a pesticide-exposed group. A high prevalence of parental environmental and occupational exposure to pesticides was observed, with statistically significant differences compared with the control group. Exposure was predominantly reported among mothers and was characterized by direct pesticide handling or application (29%), residence near agricultural areas (52%), and household or occupational contact with pesticides (33%). Correlation analysis revealed that the strongest associations were concentrated among variables related to occupational and environmental pesticide exposure, including direct contact with pesticides, pesticide application by family members, parental involvement in agricultural activities, and residence near agricultural fields. Collectively, these findings identify a cluster of interconnected variables that characterize a shared environmental exposure profile. Regarding disease characteristics, a significant association was observed between parental pesticide exposure and the presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) in offspring at day 28 (D28) of treatment. Given that MRD is one of the most robust prognostic markers in acute leukemia, this finding suggests that parental exposure to pesticides may be associated with a less favorable early treatment response. Although causality cannot be established, these results raise the possibility that transgenerational exposure to environmental contaminants may contribute to a more aggressive disease phenotype and poorer therapeutic outcomes in pediatric acute leukemia.
SN - 2531-1379
SN - 2531-1387
ER -