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A case-control study of myelodysplastic syndromes in Belgrade (Serbia Montenegro)

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Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate factors related to the occurrence of myelodysplatic syndromes (MDS) in the population of Belgrade (Serbia Montenegro). The case-control study was conducted during the period 2000–2003. The study group consisted of 80 newly diagnosed MDS patients and 160 sex- and age-matched hospital controls with nonmalignant and noninfectious diseases. The disease categories in the control group were circulatory (51 patients, 32%), gastrointestinal (53 patients, 33%), and ophthalmological (56 patients, 35%) disorders. Conditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied. Multivariate analysis showed the following factors to be significantly related to MDS: exposure to chemicals (OR=10.8, 95%CI 3.2–36.2, p=0.0001), viral upper respiratory tract infections (twice a year or more, OR=5.8, 95%CI 2.5–13.6, p=0.0001), exposure to insecticides, pesticides and herbicides (OR=5.2, 95%CI 1.8–15.1, p=0.003), coffee (OR=5.1, 95%CI 1.9–13.7, p=0.001), and alcohol consumption (OR=2.2, 95%CI 1.1–4.6, p=0.033). The findings support the hypotheses that exposure to chemical agents, pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, certain lifestyle factors (alcohol and coffee consumption), and frequent viral infections may be involved in the etiology of MDS, but these results should be confirmed by further investigations.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Environment Protection of Republic of Serbia through contract no. 1927/ 2002–2005. We would very much like to thank Dr H.D.E. Atkinson, Imperial College Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, UK, for his critical review and assistance in the writing of this paper in English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26A, Belgrade 11000, Serbia Montenegro

    Tatjana Pekmezovic, Darija Kisic & Anita Grgurevic

  2. Clinical Centre of Serbia, Institute of Hematology, Dr Koste Todorovica 4, Belgrade 11000, Serbia Montenegro

    Nada Suvajdzic Vukovic, Andrija Bogdanovic, Mirjana Gotic, Milena Bakrac & Nenad Brkic

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  1. Tatjana Pekmezovic
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  2. Nada Suvajdzic Vukovic
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  3. Darija Kisic
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  4. Anita Grgurevic
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  5. Andrija Bogdanovic
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  6. Mirjana Gotic
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  7. Milena Bakrac
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  8. Nenad Brkic
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Correspondence to Tatjana Pekmezovic.

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Pekmezovic, T., Suvajdzic Vukovic, N., Kisic, D. et al. A case-control study of myelodysplastic syndromes in Belgrade (Serbia Montenegro). Ann Hematol 85, 514–519 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-006-0128-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-006-0128-y

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