Cyclosporin; Evaluation of the carcinogenicity and genotoxicity

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands evaluates and judges the carcinogenic properties of substances to which workers are occupationally exposed. The evaluation is performed by the subcommittee on Classifying Carcinogenic Substances of the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards of the Health Council, hereafter called the committee. In this report, the committee evaluated cyclosporin. Cyclosporin is an immunosuppressive agent that is given to patients to prevent graft-versus-host reactions after organ transplantation, and to control certain diseases in which the immunological defense plays a role.

Based on the available information, the committee is of the opinion that cyclosporin should be classified as known to be carcinogenic to humans. This recommendation corresponds to the EU classification in category 1. The committee concludes furthermore that cyclosporin is not genotoxic.

Committee

• G.J. Mulder, emeritus professor of toxicology, Leiden University, Leiden, chairman
• P.J. Boogaard, toxicologist, SHELL International BV, The Hague
• Ms. M.J.M. Nivard, Molecular biologist and genetic toxicologist, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden
• G.M.H. Swaen, epidemiologist, Dow Chemicals NV, Terneuzen
• R.A. Woutersen, toxicologic pathologist, TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist
• A.A. van Zeeland, professor of molecular radiation dosimetry and radiation mutagenesis, University Medical Center, Leiden
• E.J.J. van Zoelen, professor of cell biology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen
• J.M. Rijnkels, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, scientific secretary