Response to García-Nieto et al. Comments on Beamer et al. Association of Children's Urinary CC16 Levels with Arsenic Concentrations in Multiple Environmental Media. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 521.

We would like to thank the editors for providing us with the opportunity to respond to the points raised by Dr. García Nieto.[.

Association of Children's Urinary CC16 Levels with Arsenic Concentrations in Multiple Environmental Media.

Arsenic exposure has been associated with decreased club cell secretory protein (CC16) levels in adults. Further, both arsenic exposure and decreased levels of CC16 in childhood have been associated with decreased adult lung function. Our objective was to determine if urinary CC16 levels in children are associated with arsenic concentrations in environmental media collected from their homes.

Multimedia exposures to arsenic and lead for children near an inactive mine tailings and smelter site.

Children living near contaminated mining waste areas may have high exposures to metals from the environment. This study investigates whether exposure to arsenic and lead is higher in children in a community near a legacy mine and smelter site in Arizona compared to children in other parts of the United States and the relationship of that exposure to the site. Arsenic and lead were measured in residential soil, house dust, tap water, urine, and toenail samples from 70 children in 34 households up to 7 miles from the site.

Home Water Treatment Habits and Effectiveness in a Rural Arizona Community.

Drinking water quality in the United States (US) is among the safest in the world. However, many residents, often in rural areas, rely on unregulated private wells or small municipal utilities for water needs. These utilities may violate the Safe Drinking Water Act contaminant guidelines, often because they lack the required financial resources.

Hazard-ranking of agricultural pesticides for chronic health effects in Yuma County, Arizona.

With thousands of pesticides registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, it not feasible to sample for all pesticides applied in agricultural communities. Hazard-ranking pesticides based on use, toxicity, and exposure potential can help prioritize community-specific pesticide hazards. This study applied hazard-ranking schemes for cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive/developmental toxicity in Yuma County, Arizona.

Validation of TPX2 as a potential therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer cells.

Purpose: The targeting protein for Xklp2 (TPX2) has recently gained attention as a putative oncogene possibly amplified in several human malignancies, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In this work, we sought to evaluate the copy number and expression of TPX2 in pancreatic cancer cell lines and tumor tissues and to further explore the potential of TPX2 as a therapeutic target.

Experimental Design: The DNA copy number and expression of the TPX2 gene were surveyed in pancreatic cancer cell lines and tumor tissues and compared with those of immortalized normal pancreatic ductal cells and normal pancreatic tissues.