Background. Based on the national register of new cases of aplastic an
aemia (AA) begun in France In 1984, a case-control study was conducted
to explore the aetiology of the disease. Methods. Cases were all incl
uded in the French national register of AA. Two different groups of co
ntrols were derived with individual matching; one group from hospitali
zed patients in the same hospital; the other group from neighbours nam
ed by the case. A 15-year occupational history was collected through i
nterview and then grouped into exposure categories by jobs done for on
e year or more. The study included 98 cases, 181 hospitalized controls
, and 72 neighbours aged 18-70 years. Results. No differences appeared
between the cases and both groups of controls relative to any group o
f occupation investigated, However, a borderline non-significant small
excess for exposure to pesticides was observed among the cases when c
ompared to hospitalized controls. Whatever the control group, no assoc
iation was found between AA and exposure to solvents, ionizing radiati
on, fuel, oils and grease. A positive relationship between exposure to
glues and AA was observed, as well as a trend towards an increased ri
sk after exposure to paints. Conclusions. This large-scale case-contro
l study confirmed the vanishing role of previously known toxic substan
ces in the aetiology of AA. However, a higher proportion or AA patient
s reported exposure to paints and to glues, a relationship which needs
further investigation because of the diversity of compounds included
in these products.