- Magnetic fields exposure and childhood leukemia risk:
- A meta-analysis
based on 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls
- Zhao L, Liu X, Wang C, Yan K, Lin X, Li S, Bao H, Liu X/ Magnetic fields exposure and childhood leukemia risk: A meta-analysis based on 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls. Leuk Res. 2013 Dec 15. pii: S0145-2126(13)00427-X. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres. 2013.12.008. [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To observe the association between childhood leukemia and magnetic field exposure.
- METHODS: The literature was searched by PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science (SCI) and Medline databases during 1997-2013. Heterogeneity in several studies was weighted by I-squared value. Publication bias was tested by funnel plot and Egger’s test. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to evaluate the association strength. The statistical analyses in present study were carried out by STATA software p
- (version 12.0, College Station, TX).
RESULTS: A total of 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls in 9 studies were stratified by different exposure cut-off points. On condition of the reference <0.1μT, statistical association between magnetic field intensity ≥0.4μT and childhood leukemia was exhibited (for total leukemia: OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.03-2.40; for acute lymphocytic leukemia: OR=2.43, 95% CI=1.30-4.55). On condition of the reference level of <0.2μT, the positive association between magnetic field intensity ≥0.2μT and childhood leukemia was found (OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.06-1.61).
CONCLUSIONS: The result in this meta-analysis indicated that magnetic field exposure level may be associated with childhood leukemia.