Evaluation of evidence for infection as a mode of action for induction of rat lymphoma

Caldwell, J; Jinot, J; Devoney, D; Gift, JS

HERO ID

196182

Reference Type

Journal Article

Subtype

Review

Year

2008

Language

English

PMID

18095346

HERO ID 196182
Material Type Review
In Press No
Year 2008
Title Evaluation of evidence for infection as a mode of action for induction of rat lymphoma
Authors Caldwell, J; Jinot, J; Devoney, D; Gift, JS
Journal Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis
Volume 49
Issue 2
Page Numbers 155-164
Abstract The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a 2006 report questioning the relationship of aspartame exposure with increased incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in a European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF) rat study. The EFSA report suggested that the lymphoma/leukemia findings were most likely explained by infection in the rat colony. The ERF has also conducted the only available long-term oral study of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE). Thus, using the EFSA report as support, some have now raised questions about the human relevance of MTBE-associated hemolymphoreticular tumors reported by the ERF in female rats as well as whether their incidence was elevated above background levels. In this report, we discuss the hypothesized mode of action (MOA) of infection-induced lymphoma and its relevance to MTBE-associated lymphomas. We address the relationship of rat strain and study duration to lymphoma susceptibility and review evidence of low background rates of this tumor in control animals at the ERF, similar survival rates for female rats at the ERF and National Toxicology Program (NTP), and chemical- and gender-specificity of tumor induction for this type of tumor in studies at the ERF. We find that the background incidence of hemolymphoreticular tumors in female rats in the MTBE study is consistent with contemporaneous studies at the ERF and that there is an exposure-related effect, which is unlikely to be due to infections. We examine more recent tumor classification schemes for lymphomas, which support the combination of lymphoblastic leukemias and lymphomas reported by Belpoggi et al. ([1995] Toxicol Ind Health 11:119-149; [1998] Eur J Oncol 3:201-206).
Doi 10.1002/em.20356
Pmid 18095346
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword methyl tertiary-butyl ether; lymphoma; lymphoblastic leukemia; mode of action; risk assessment
Is Peer Review Yes