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BloodNCT01547858

Studying Blood Toxicity in Workers Exposed to Formaldehyde

An observational study of Blood and Chemical Industry, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 1 site in China.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Background: Formaldehyde has many uses in industry and medicine. However, exposure to formaldehyde has been associated with increased risk for myeloid leukemia. There are still questions about how the chemical reacts with bone marrow to increase this cancer risk. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 60 years
Conditions the study is for
Blood, Chemical Industry
How many people
708 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
9 Feb 2012to 12 Nov 2020
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Study population: We will identify formaldehyde-exposed manufacturing workers during the cross-sectional study. The exposed workers have to have held the same job for at least 3 months in the same factory. We expect that the age and sex distribution will be similar in the lower and higher exposed workers. We will enroll controls without previous occupational exposure to formaldehyde or any other genotoxic, hematotoxic or immunotoxic chemicals in two factories that manufacture clothes located in the same@@@geographic area as the utensil producing factories.

Who may be able to join

  • The eligible age range for the study will be 18 to 60 years old

Who cannot join

  • Exclusion criteria for both formaldehyde-exposed and control workers will be:
  • A history of cancer, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy, as well as previous or current occupational exposure to benzene, butadiene, styrene and radiation.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

China1 site
  • Guangdong National Poison Control Center (NPCC)

    Guangzhour

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: A Cross-Sectional Study of Hematotoxicity in Workers Exposed to Formaldehyde

Background:

  • Formaldehyde has many uses in industry and medicine. However, exposure to formaldehyde has been associated with increased risk for myeloid leukemia. There are still questions about how the chemical reacts with bone marrow to increase this cancer risk. Some smaller studies have looked at how it affects stem cells, which are found in bone marrow. Researchers want to develop a much larger study of workers in China. The study will look at different levels of formaldehyde exposure. It will focus on how the chemical affects the blood cells and bone marrow.
Read more

Objectives:

  • To study the effects of formaldehyde exposure on blood cells and bone marrow.

Eligibility:

  • Individuals between 18 and 60 years of age who work in selected factories in Guangdong Province, China.

Design:

  • Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will also be screened with a work history. Those who have been exposed to benzene, butadiene, styrene, or radiation will not be included.
  • Participants will be studied based on their regular formaldehyde exposure level. One-third will be those exposed to more than 1 part per million (ppm) of the chemical. One-third will be those exposed to 0.3 to 1 ppm. A control group will have no exposure to formaldehyde or any other known toxic chemical.
  • Participants will provide blood and cheek swab samples. They will also answer questions about their work habits.
  • To look at chemical exposure levels, participants will wear a small monitor to work on 3 different days. They may provide additional blood and cell samples as directed.
  • No treatment will be provided as part of this study.
Read the detailed description

Research in industrial workers and professionals exposed to formaldehyde suggests that occupational exposure to this important chemical is associated with increased risk for myeloid leukemia. However, there is still uncertainty about the biologic plausibility of the association because of questions regarding the ability of formaldehyde, which is extremely reactive, to directly or indirectly cause toxicity to the bone marrow. There have been several relatively small studies of the impact of occupational formaldehyde exposure on peripheral blood cells that found some evidence that peripheral blood cells of the myeloid lineage (i.e., granulocytes, platelets) were significantly decreased in exposed workers. We propose to follow-up these findings in a relatively large study population in China. We will study hematologic parameters in 240 higher exposed workers (>1 ppm), 240 workers exposed to lower levels of formaldehyde (0.3 to 1 ppm), and a group of 240 unexposed controls frequency-matched to exposed workers. This study will make an important contribution to our understanding of the leukemogenic potential of formaldehyde, which has important public health and regulatory implications.

Keywords
Hematotoxicity, Formaldehyde, Cross-Sectional Study, Occupational Exposure

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Hematotoxicity Change

    Complete blood counts

    Measured: 2012-2024

  2. Immune Function

    immune biomarkers

    Measured: 2012- 2024

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted8 Mar 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study start9 Feb 2012
  3. Primary completion30 May 2013
  4. Study completion12 Nov 2020

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
708 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01547858
Sponsor's protocol ID
999912055
Other IDs
12-C-N055
Status last verified
Nov 2020
First submitted
6 Mar 2012
Last updated
16 Nov 2020
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Coggon D, Harris EC, Poole J, Palmer KT. Extended follow-up of a cohort of british chemical workers exposed to formaldehyde. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003 Nov 5;95(21):1608-15. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djg046.

    PubMed 14600093
  • Hauptmann M, Stewart PA, Lubin JH, Beane Freeman LE, Hornung RW, Herrick RF, Hoover RN, Fraumeni JF Jr, Blair A, Hayes RB. Mortality from lymphohematopoietic malignancies and brain cancer among embalmers exposed to formaldehyde. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009 Dec 16;101(24):1696-708. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djp416.

    PubMed 19933446
  • Pinkerton LE, Hein MJ, Stayner LT. Mortality among a cohort of garment workers exposed to formaldehyde: an update. Occup Environ Med. 2004 Mar;61(3):193-200. doi: 10.1136/oem.2003.007476.

    PubMed 14985513

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Blood and Chemical Industry, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 1 site in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Nov 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Hematotoxicity Change (time frame: 2012-2024). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01547858, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Nov 2020; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 4 Nov 2026.

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