Antinuclear Antibodies and Bromoxynil Exposure in a Rural Sample

Previous research suggests that farmers may have an increased risk of developing autoimmunity and that exposure to certain pesticides may alter immune function. Little is known, however, about the immunologic effects of farming and pesticide exposures. As part of the Prairie Ecosystem Study, associations between detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), an autoimmunity indicator, and exposure to the herbicide bromoxynil (3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile) were investigated in a cross-sectional study of 208 residents (94 women, 114 men) of a cereal-producing region in Saskatchewan, Canada, during spring herbicide application, 1996. The ANA were assayed in serum by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells. Bromoxynil was measured in plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Associations were explored between ANA detection and detection of bromoxynil in plasma, self-reported use of bromoxynil and other pesticides, farming exposures, gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and residency. The mea...