Forte, C. A. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

Differential serum binding patterns predicting healthy subjects and cancer patients

A viral exposure signature (VES) has been previously described predicting the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in at-risk patients. This has been achieved by a serological profiling of the viral infection history using a synthetic human virome including >100k epitopes (VirScan). In the present study we applied the same VirScan strategy to identify a differential serum binding pattern (DSBP) for classifying patients of different cancer types from healthy individuals. In particular, the healthy group included both age-matched (ADULTS) as well as elderly (ELDERS) individuals, the latter counting also nonagenarians and centenarians. The class comparison performed with serological data show DSBPs supporting class predictions, as confirmed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Antibody responses supporting the class predictions are specific to peptides from persistent herpesviruses, acute-infecting viruses and, consistently in all comparisons, human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). Strikingly, the DSB of the ELDERS vs. CANCER comparison is characterized by higher titers in the healthy subjects; on the contrary, the DSB of the ADULTS vs. CANCER comparison is characterized by lower titers in the healthy subjects. Overall, the results show a differential serological binding pattern predicting healthy individuals (ADULTS or ELDERS) from patients with different types of cancer. Such results provide the first evidence suggesting a close link between anti-microbial immunity and cancer development. They may be of the highest relevance in terms of predictive, diagnostic and/or prognostic impact in oncology.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

Pesticide exposure and adverse health effects associated with farm work in Northern Thailand

Article SummaryO_ST_ABSObjectivesC_ST_ABSTo assess pesticide exposure and understand the resultant health effects of agricultural workers in Northern Thailand. DesignCross-sectional study. SettingThe entirety of this study was completed in Chiang Rai, Thailand, at Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai Prachanukroh hospital, the village leaders home, and the community center. Participants97 men between the ages of 22-76 years of age; 70 were conventional farmwokers and 27 did not report any prior farm or pesticide spraying. Primary Outcome MeasuresWe quantified exposure to pesticides including chlorpyrifos, methomyl, and metalaxyl, by air sampling and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. We estimated differences in self-reported health outcomes, complete blood counts, cholinesterase activity, and serum/urine calcium and creatinine concentrations at baseline between farmworkers and comparison workers, and after pesticide spraying in farmworkers only. Secondary Outcome MeasuresWe quantified ResultsNone of the farmworkers wore standardized PPE for the concentrated chemicals they were working with. Methomyl, ethyl chlorpyrifos, and metalaxyl were detected air samples in varying amounts. When it came to reporting confidence in the ability to handle personal problems, only 43% of farmworkers reported feeling confident; which reflects higher stress levels in comparison to 78% of comparison workers (p = 0.028). Farmworkers also had significantly lower monocyte counts (p=0.01), serum calcium (p=0.01), red blood count (p=0.01), white blood cell count (p=0.04), and butyrylcholinesterase activity (p<0.0001), relative to comparison workers. After adjusting for BMI, age, and smoking, methomyl air concentrations were associated with a decrease in farmworker acetylcholinesterase activity (beta= -0.327, p =0.016). ConclusionsFarmworkers blood analytes, acetylcholinesterase, and self-reported symptoms differed from comparison workers. Improving PPE use presents a likely route for preventive intervention in this population. Strengths and Limitations: O_LIThe US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) generally recommends testing for baseline cholinesterase levels after not working with organophosphates for at least 30 days(1). However, this was not capable for our study, and baseline cholinesterase measurements may not actually represent a true baseline measurement due to their overlapping work schedules C_LIO_LIThis pilot study did not take multiple baseline measurements, and the one baseline that was taken was likely taken before the OSHA recommended guideline of 30 days since pesticide use. C_LIO_LIOur study also focused on workplace sampling at a time when the specific farm of interest was expected to be spraying chlorpyrifos, therefore the study results show an over-representation of chlorpyrifos. C_LIO_LIThis is the first study of its type that took a mixed-methods approach using survey, biomarker, and workplace observation data to analyze farmworker pesticide health effects in comparison to other workers in Northern Thailand. C_LIO_LIThis pilot study is one of the larger studies on farmworker chemical exposures in Thailand. These data can inform the methods for future global occupational health research on farmworkers. C_LIO_LIThis study is very generalizable to farmworkers in LMIC and Thailand. C_LI

pharmacology and toxicology↗