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3272. Reassurance for blue cheese addicts
194
Cosmetics. toiletries and household products
sity, urbanization and median per capita income, the last somewhat puzzling since no socio-economic gradient in this form of cancer has been discerned. The correlation with total alcohol intake, which displays a very large socio-economic gradient, was also puzzling from this point of view. It was concluded that correlations involving gross population data may be an inadequate indicator of aetiology in chronic diseases such as colorectal cancer, which probably involves several factors. Additional well-designed studies, ideally including a prospective study of groups that differ only in their beer-drinking habits, would be necessary to define the precise role of beer drinking in this respect.
3272. Reassurance for blue cheese addicts
Frank, H. K., Orth, R., Ivankovic, S., Kuhlmann, M. & Schm~ihl, D. (1977). Investigations on carcinogenic effects of PeniciUium caseicolum and P. roqueforti in rats. Experientia 33, 515. Some strains of Penicillium used in cheese manufacture, including P. roqueforti and P. camemberti. have been shown to be capable of toxin production when cultured in a synthetic medium (Lafont et al. Fd Cosmet. Toxicol. 1976, 14, 137). Moreover, an increased incidence of tumours and leukaemia was found in one study when P. camemberti var. candidum III C 3 was given by gavage or sc injection to rats, although as one tumour was detected in the control group this was of questionable significance (Gibel et al. Arch. Geschwulstforsch. 1971, 38, 1). The possibility
that moulds used in camembert and blue cheese manufacture may be carcinogenic has now been further investigated. Three groups of 60 rats were fed on 5 days weekly for life with one of two types of camembert or one commercial blue cheese, while a fourth group (80 rats) received five types of camembert or brie in weekly rotation. One of the commercial starters used to make the camembert was P. camemberti var. candidum III C 3. Other groups were treated once weekly by gavage for life or sc for 52 wk with 2'5 ml of a suspension of mycelium from this strain of P. camemberti, or one of three other strains used to manufacture the camembert or blue cheese, which had been cultured on wort agar in saline. The mean total dose of mycelium was in the range 4-10-6.23 by gavage, or 2'63-2-94g by sc injection, while total cheese consumption was in the range 8.0-12.7 kg. Weight gain and gross and histological findings in all test groups showed no significant differences from controls, and survival was generally longer than in control groups, in which some animals died from an intermittent virus infection. A higher tumour incidence was found in a number of test groups, notably in those given P. camemberti var. candidum III C 3 by gavage or sc injection. However, mean survival in these groups was 28 and 27 months respectively, with mean tumour induction times of 25 and 24 months, whereas controls survived only 17 months on average and developed tumours after an average of only 11 months. It thus appeared that the higher tumour incidence could be attributed entirely to the longer lifespan of the test animals, and was not indicative of carcinogenicity either in the cheeses or their starters.
COSMETICS, TOILETRIES AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS 3273. Good news for hair~ye users
Kinlen, L. J., Harris, R., Garrod, A. & Rodriguez, K. (1977). Use of hair dyes by patients with breast cancer: a case-control study. Br. reed. J. 2, 366. Some 89% of oxidative hair-dye formulations available in the United States, and 12 of their 18 components, were found to be mutagenic in an Ames test (Cited in F.C.T. 1976, 14, 354). Similar evidence of mutagenicity was obtained with 7 of 11 hair colorants available in the UK, and there were also preliminary indications of an increase in malignant lymphomas in mice when some of these formulations were applied to the skin (Searle et al. Nature, Lond. 1975, 255, 506). Furthermore, 2,4-diaminotoluene, until recently used in hair dyes, has produced hepatocellular carcinomas when fed in a semi-synthetic diet to rats (Cited in F.C.T. 1969, 7, 700). However, three long-term skinpainting tests, in which hair-dye formulations or their individual ingredients have been applied up to twice weekly to rats or mice, have revealed no evidence of carcinogenicity (ibid 1973, 11, 641; Burnett et al. Fd Cosmet. Toxicol. 1975, 13, 353; Giles et al. J. Toxic. envir. HIth 1976, 1, 539).
There has been little indication that hair dyes may cause cancer in humans apart from a report that, of 100 New York women with breast cancer, 87 had used hair colourings for more than 5 yr (Shafer & Shafer, N.Y. St. J. Med. 1976, 76, 394). Only 26% of women of the same age without breast cancer were regular users, but whether these control subjects were matched in respects other than age was not stated. In the UK, an excess of breast cancer (but of no other listed site of cancer) in single women hairdressers was recorded in the period 1959-63 (Registrar General's Decennial Supplement, England and Wales 1961, Occupational Mortality Tables; HMSO, London, 1971), and a similar but smaller increase occurred in 1949-53. Prompted by these findings, a survey of hairdye use by breast cancer patients has now been undertaken in the Oxford region. Of 191 women with breast cancer interviewed in 1975-76, 37 (19"4%) had used semi-permanent hair dyes, 33 (17-3%) had used permanent dyes and 15 (7.9%) had used permanent dye and bleach preparations. When these women were compared with 561 controls without breast cancer, matched for age, marital status and social class, no significant difference
Cosmetics. toiletries and household products
sity, urbanization and median per capita income, the last somewhat puzzling since no socio-economic gradient in this form of cancer has been discerned. The correlation with total alcohol intake, which displays a very large socio-economic gradient, was also puzzling from this point of view. It was concluded that correlations involving gross population data may be an inadequate indicator of aetiology in chronic diseases such as colorectal cancer, which probably involves several factors. Additional well-designed studies, ideally including a prospective study of groups that differ only in their beer-drinking habits, would be necessary to define the precise role of beer drinking in this respect.
3272. Reassurance for blue cheese addicts
Frank, H. K., Orth, R., Ivankovic, S., Kuhlmann, M. & Schm~ihl, D. (1977). Investigations on carcinogenic effects of PeniciUium caseicolum and P. roqueforti in rats. Experientia 33, 515. Some strains of Penicillium used in cheese manufacture, including P. roqueforti and P. camemberti. have been shown to be capable of toxin production when cultured in a synthetic medium (Lafont et al. Fd Cosmet. Toxicol. 1976, 14, 137). Moreover, an increased incidence of tumours and leukaemia was found in one study when P. camemberti var. candidum III C 3 was given by gavage or sc injection to rats, although as one tumour was detected in the control group this was of questionable significance (Gibel et al. Arch. Geschwulstforsch. 1971, 38, 1). The possibility
that moulds used in camembert and blue cheese manufacture may be carcinogenic has now been further investigated. Three groups of 60 rats were fed on 5 days weekly for life with one of two types of camembert or one commercial blue cheese, while a fourth group (80 rats) received five types of camembert or brie in weekly rotation. One of the commercial starters used to make the camembert was P. camemberti var. candidum III C 3. Other groups were treated once weekly by gavage for life or sc for 52 wk with 2'5 ml of a suspension of mycelium from this strain of P. camemberti, or one of three other strains used to manufacture the camembert or blue cheese, which had been cultured on wort agar in saline. The mean total dose of mycelium was in the range 4-10-6.23 by gavage, or 2'63-2-94g by sc injection, while total cheese consumption was in the range 8.0-12.7 kg. Weight gain and gross and histological findings in all test groups showed no significant differences from controls, and survival was generally longer than in control groups, in which some animals died from an intermittent virus infection. A higher tumour incidence was found in a number of test groups, notably in those given P. camemberti var. candidum III C 3 by gavage or sc injection. However, mean survival in these groups was 28 and 27 months respectively, with mean tumour induction times of 25 and 24 months, whereas controls survived only 17 months on average and developed tumours after an average of only 11 months. It thus appeared that the higher tumour incidence could be attributed entirely to the longer lifespan of the test animals, and was not indicative of carcinogenicity either in the cheeses or their starters.
COSMETICS, TOILETRIES AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS 3273. Good news for hair~ye users
Kinlen, L. J., Harris, R., Garrod, A. & Rodriguez, K. (1977). Use of hair dyes by patients with breast cancer: a case-control study. Br. reed. J. 2, 366. Some 89% of oxidative hair-dye formulations available in the United States, and 12 of their 18 components, were found to be mutagenic in an Ames test (Cited in F.C.T. 1976, 14, 354). Similar evidence of mutagenicity was obtained with 7 of 11 hair colorants available in the UK, and there were also preliminary indications of an increase in malignant lymphomas in mice when some of these formulations were applied to the skin (Searle et al. Nature, Lond. 1975, 255, 506). Furthermore, 2,4-diaminotoluene, until recently used in hair dyes, has produced hepatocellular carcinomas when fed in a semi-synthetic diet to rats (Cited in F.C.T. 1969, 7, 700). However, three long-term skinpainting tests, in which hair-dye formulations or their individual ingredients have been applied up to twice weekly to rats or mice, have revealed no evidence of carcinogenicity (ibid 1973, 11, 641; Burnett et al. Fd Cosmet. Toxicol. 1975, 13, 353; Giles et al. J. Toxic. envir. HIth 1976, 1, 539).
There has been little indication that hair dyes may cause cancer in humans apart from a report that, of 100 New York women with breast cancer, 87 had used hair colourings for more than 5 yr (Shafer & Shafer, N.Y. St. J. Med. 1976, 76, 394). Only 26% of women of the same age without breast cancer were regular users, but whether these control subjects were matched in respects other than age was not stated. In the UK, an excess of breast cancer (but of no other listed site of cancer) in single women hairdressers was recorded in the period 1959-63 (Registrar General's Decennial Supplement, England and Wales 1961, Occupational Mortality Tables; HMSO, London, 1971), and a similar but smaller increase occurred in 1949-53. Prompted by these findings, a survey of hairdye use by breast cancer patients has now been undertaken in the Oxford region. Of 191 women with breast cancer interviewed in 1975-76, 37 (19"4%) had used semi-permanent hair dyes, 33 (17-3%) had used permanent dyes and 15 (7.9%) had used permanent dye and bleach preparations. When these women were compared with 561 controls without breast cancer, matched for age, marital status and social class, no significant difference