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Ajrouche R, Chandab G, Petit A, Strullu M, Nelken B, Plat G, Michel G, Domenech C, Clavel J, Bonaventure A. Allergies, genetic polymorphisms of Th2 interleukins, and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: The ESTELLE study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29402. [PMID: 34662484 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT A negative association between a history of allergy and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been reported in previous studies, but remains debated. This work aimed to investigate this association accounting for genetic polymorphisms of the Th2 pathway cytokines (IL4, IL10, IL13, and IL4R). METHODS Analyses were based on the French case-control study ESTELLE (2010-2011). The complete sample included 629 ALL cases and 1421 population-based controls frequency-matched on age and gender. The child's medical history was collected through standardized maternal interview. Biological samples were collected, and genotyping data were available for 411 cases and 704 controls of European origin. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using unconditional regression models adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS In the complete sample, a significant inverse association was observed between ALL and reported history of allergic rhinitis or sinusitis (OR = 0.65 [0.42-0.98]; P = 0.04), but there was no obvious association with allergies overall. There was an interaction between genetic polymorphisms in IL4 and IL4R (Pinteraction = 0.003), as well as a gene-environment interaction between IL4R-rs1801275 and a reported history of asthma (IOR = 0.23; Pint = 0.008) and eczema (IOR = 0.47; Pint = 0.06). We observed no interaction with the candidate polymorphisms in IL4 and IL13. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the association between allergic symptoms and childhood ALL could be modified by IL4R-rs1801275, and that this variant could also interact with a functional variant in IL4 gene. Although they warrant confirmation, these results could help understand the pathological mechanisms under the reported inverse association between allergy and childhood ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roula Ajrouche
- CRESS, Université de Paris INSERM, UMR 1153, Epidemiology of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers Team, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| | - Ghinaj Chandab
- CRESS, Université de Paris INSERM, UMR 1153, Epidemiology of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers Team, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| | - Arnaud Petit
- Sorbonne Université, UMRS_938, AP-HP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Carine Domenech
- Institut d'Hématologie et d'Oncologie Pédiatrique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Jacqueline Clavel
- CRESS, Université de Paris INSERM, UMR 1153, Epidemiology of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers Team, Villejuif, France.,National Registry of Childhood Cancers, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France and CHU de Nancy, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Audrey Bonaventure
- CRESS, Université de Paris INSERM, UMR 1153, Epidemiology of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers Team, Villejuif, France
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2
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Wang S, Maxwell CA, Akella NM. Diet as a Potential Moderator for Genome Stability and Immune Response in Pediatric Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030413. [PMID: 33499176 PMCID: PMC7865408 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most prevalent cancer affecting children in developed societies. Here, we review the role of diet in control of the incidence and progression of childhood ALL. Prenatally, ALL risk is associated with higher birthweights of newborns, suggesting that ALL begins to evolve in-utero. Indeed, maternal diet influences the fetal genome and immune development. Postnatally, breastfeeding associates with decreased risk of ALL development. Finally, for the ALL-affected child, certain dietary regimens that impact the hormonal environment may impede disease progression. Improved understanding of the dietary regulation of hormones and immunity may inform better approaches to predict, protect, and ultimately save children afflicted with pediatric leukemia. Abstract Pediatric leukemias are the most prevalent cancers affecting children in developed societies, with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) being the most common subtype. As diet is a likely modulator of many diseases, this review focuses on the potential for diet to influence the incidence and progression of childhood ALL. In particular, the potential effect of diets on genome stability and immunity during the prenatal and postnatal stages of early childhood development are discussed. Maternal diet plays an integral role in shaping the bodily composition of the newborn, and thus may influence fetal genome stability and immune system development. Indeed, higher birth weights of newborns are associated with increased risk of ALL, which suggests in-utero biology may shape the evolution of preleukemic clones. Postnatally, the ingestion of maternal breastmilk both nourishes the infant, and provides essential components that strengthen and educate the developing immune system. Consistently, breast-feeding associates with decreased risk of ALL development. For children already suffering from ALL, certain dietary regimens have been proposed. These regimens, which have been validated in both animals and humans, alter the internal hormonal environment. Thus, hormonal regulation by diet may shape childhood metabolism and immunity in a manner that is detrimental to the evolution or expansion of preleukemic and leukemic ALL clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada;
| | - Christopher A. Maxwell
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada;
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Correspondence: (C.A.M.); (N.M.A.)
| | - Neha M. Akella
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada;
- Correspondence: (C.A.M.); (N.M.A.)
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3
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Fereidouni M, Ferns GA, Bahrami A. Current status and perspectives regarding the association between allergic disorders and cancer. IUBMB Life 2020; 72:1322-1339. [PMID: 32458542 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
While activation of immune system may lead to a lower risk of some diseases, it has been shown that a history of atopic allergic disorders such as asthma, hay fever, eczema, and food allergies could be related to several types of cancer. However, the evidence is not entirely conclusive. Two proposals suggest a possible mechanism for the association between allergic disorders and cancers: immune surveillance and the antigenic stimulation. The association of allergy and cancer may vary by cancer site and the type of exposure. The aim of current review was to summarize the current knowledge of the association between allergic diseases and the risk of cancers with particular emphasis on case-controls and cohort studies to estimate the cancer risk associated with allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Fereidouni
- Department of Immunology, Medical school Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Gordon A Ferns
- Division of Medical Education, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Afsane Bahrami
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
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4
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Wallace AD, Francis SS, Ma X, McKean-Cowdin R, Selvin S, Whitehead TP, Barcellos LF, Kang AY, Morimoto L, Moore TB, Wiemels JL, Metayer C. Allergies and Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case-Control Study and Meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018; 27:1142-1150. [PMID: 30068517 PMCID: PMC6628274 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-17-0584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Allergic disease is suspected to play a role in the development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Studies conducted over the last several decades have yielded mixed results.Methods: We examined the association between allergy, a common immune-mediated disorder, and ALL in the California Childhood Leukemia Study (CCLS), a case-control study of 977 children diagnosed with ALL and 1,037 matched controls (1995-2015). History of allergies in the first year of life was obtained from interviews, mainly reported by mothers. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), controlling for birth order, daycare attendance, and mode of delivery. In addition, we conducted meta-analyses with data from the CCLS and 12 published studies and employed a new method to estimate between-study heterogeneity (R_b).Results: Overall, no associations were observed between childhood ALL risk and specific allergy phenotypes or any allergy, as a group. However, having any allergy was associated with an increased risk of ALL among the youngest study participants. In the meta-analysis random-effects models, reduced odds of ALL were associated with hay fever (metaOR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47-0.90); however, restricting the analysis to studies that used medical records for assessment of allergy or recently published studies led to null or attenuated results.Conclusions: Overall, our findings do not support a clear association between allergy and childhood ALL.Impact: The degree to which epidemiologic studies can inform the relationship between allergies and risk of childhood ALL is limited by R_b. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(10); 1142-50. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia D Wallace
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
| | - Stephen S Francis
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Xiomei Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Roberta McKean-Cowdin
- Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Steve Selvin
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Todd P Whitehead
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Lisa F Barcellos
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Alice Y Kang
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Libby Morimoto
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Theodore B Moore
- School of Medicine, Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Joseph L Wiemels
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Catherine Metayer
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
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5
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Bonaventure A, Orsi L, Rudant J, Goujon-Bellec S, Leverger G, Baruchel A, Bertrand Y, Nelken B, Pasquet M, Michel G, Sirvent N, Chastagner P, Ducassou S, Thomas C, Besse C, Hémon D, Clavel J. Genetic polymorphisms of Th2 interleukins, history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia: Findings from the ESCALE study (SFCE). Cancer Epidemiol 2018; 55:96-103. [PMID: 29883839 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies on the putative role of allergy in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia have reported contradictory results. The present study aimed to analyse the relation between a medical history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) in light of potential candidate gene-environment interactions. METHODS Analyses were based on a subset of 434 cases of ALL and 442 controls successfully genotyped and of European ancestry children enrolled in a French population-based case-control study conducted in 2003-2004. Information about medical history was obtained during a standardized interview with the mothers. Candidate polymorphisms in genes of the Th2 cytokines IL4, IL10, IL13 and IL4-receptor, were genotyped or imputed. RESULTS None of the variant alleles were directly associated with childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia. A medical history of asthma or eczema was reported more often in the control group (OR = 0.7 [0.5-1.0]). This association was mostly seen in the group of children not carrying the IL13-rs20541 variant allele (Interaction Odds Ratio IOR 1.9, p-interaction = 0.07) and in those carrying the IL10 triple variant haplotype (IOR 0.5, p-interaction = 0.04). No interaction was observed with the candidate polymorphisms in IL4 and IL4R. CONCLUSION This study provides a new insight into the relationship between allergic symptoms and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia, by suggesting this inverse association could be limited to children carrying certain genetic polymorphisms. If confirmed, these results could help better understand the biological mechanisms involved in the development of childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bonaventure
- INSERM, Université Paris-Descartes, Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, CRESS U1153, EPICEA-Epidémiologie des cancers de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Villejuif, France; INSERM, RNCE-National Registry of Childhood Cancers, Villejuif, France; Cancer Survival Group, Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
| | - L Orsi
- INSERM, Université Paris-Descartes, Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, CRESS U1153, EPICEA-Epidémiologie des cancers de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Villejuif, France
| | - J Rudant
- INSERM, Université Paris-Descartes, Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, CRESS U1153, EPICEA-Epidémiologie des cancers de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Villejuif, France; INSERM, RNCE-National Registry of Childhood Cancers, Villejuif, France
| | - S Goujon-Bellec
- INSERM, Université Paris-Descartes, Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, CRESS U1153, EPICEA-Epidémiologie des cancers de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Villejuif, France; INSERM, RNCE-National Registry of Childhood Cancers, Villejuif, France
| | - G Leverger
- AP-HP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Université Paris 6 Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - A Baruchel
- AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Y Bertrand
- Institut d'Hémato-Oncologie Pédiatrique, Lyon, France
| | - B Nelken
- CHU de Lille, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Lille, France
| | - M Pasquet
- Hôpital des Enfants, Toulouse, France
| | - G Michel
- AP-HM, Hôpital la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - N Sirvent
- Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHRU, Montpellier, France
| | | | - S Ducassou
- Haematology and Oncology, Childrens' Hospital, Pellegrin, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Thomas
- Service d'onco-hématologie pédiatrique, CHU de Nantes, France
| | - C Besse
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) Genomics Institute-Centre National de Génotypage, Evry Cedex, France
| | - D Hémon
- INSERM, Université Paris-Descartes, Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, CRESS U1153, EPICEA-Epidémiologie des cancers de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Villejuif, France
| | - J Clavel
- INSERM, Université Paris-Descartes, Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, CRESS U1153, EPICEA-Epidémiologie des cancers de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Villejuif, France; INSERM, RNCE-National Registry of Childhood Cancers, Villejuif, France
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6
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Hwee J, Tait C, Sung L, Kwong JC, Sutradhar R, Pole JD. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between childhood infections and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Cancer 2017; 118:127-137. [PMID: 29065105 PMCID: PMC5765221 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: To determine whether childhood infections were associated with the development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Methods: We included studies that assessed any infection in childhood prior to the diagnosis of ALL in children aged 0–19 years compared to children without cancer. The primary analysis synthesised any infection against the odds of ALL, and secondary analyses assessed the frequency, severity, timing of infections, and specific infectious agents against the odds of ALL. Subgroup analyses by data source were investigated. Results: In our primary analysis of 12 496 children with ALL and 2 356 288 children without ALL from 38 studies, we found that any infection was not associated with ALL (odds ratio (OR)=1.10, 95% CI: 0.95–1.28). Among studies with laboratory-confirmed infections, the presence of infections increased the odds of ALL by 2.4-fold (OR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.54–3.82). Frequency, severity, and timing of infection were not associated with ALL. Conclusions: The hypothesis put forward by Greaves and others about an infectious aetiology are neither confirmed nor refuted and the overall evidence remains inadequate for good judgement. The qualitative difference in the subgroup effects require further study, and future research will need to address the challenges in measuring infectious exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Hwee
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher Tait
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lillian Sung
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jeffrey C Kwong
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada.,Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Toronto Western Family Health Team, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rinku Sutradhar
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jason D Pole
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, 480 University Avenue, Suite 1014, Toronto, ON, Canada
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7
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Rocha KC, Vieira MLDS, Beltrame RL, Cartum J, Alves SIPMDN, Azzalis LA, Junqueira VBC, Pereira EC, Fonseca FLA. Impact of Selenium Supplementation in Neutropenia and Immunoglobulin Production in Childhood Cancer Patients. J Med Food 2017; 19:560-8. [PMID: 27266340 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2015.0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Essential to human health, selenium (Se) has enzymatic functions of fundamental importance to human biology due to its effects on DNA damage repair, its antioxidant properties, and cancer prevention. The best studied relationships between Se and the immune system is its role in the functions of neutrophils and of lymphocytes. Despite these observations, it is not yet clear by which mechanism Se is able to modify the immune status. This was a double-blind, crossover study: Group 1 received Se and Group 2 received placebo (30 days). After this, Group 1 received placebo and Group 2 received Se (30 days). Every 30 days, blood samples were collected for white blood cell count, red blood cell count, and Ig level measurement (IgA, IgG, IgE, IgM). Of the 36 patients, 17 were suffering from leukemia/lymphomas (LL) and 19 from solid tumors (ST). In the ST group's leukogram, a significant increase in neutrophils was observed after Se usage (P = .0192). During the analyzed period, Se minimized the triggering of neutropenia cases in both groups. IgA and IgG levels in ST patients were significantly higher than those identified in LL patients after Se usage (P = .0051 and P = .0055). For IgA, a significant increase in its production, after Se usage, was observed in the ST group when compared to the LL (P = .0011). The same did not occur to the IgM and IgE immunoglobulins. In our study, the supplementation with Se reduced the neutropenic cases (LL and ST patients) and reduced IgG and IgA levels in LL and increased in ST group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katya Cristina Rocha
- 1 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jairo Cartum
- 1 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sarah Isabel P M do N Alves
- 2 Institute of Environmental Sciences, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ligia Ajaime Azzalis
- 2 Institute of Environmental Sciences, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Edimar Cristiano Pereira
- 2 Institute of Environmental Sciences, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
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8
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Cui Y, Hill AW. Atopy and Specific Cancer Sites: a Review of Epidemiological Studies. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2017; 51:338-352. [PMID: 27277132 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-016-8559-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence appears to link asthma and atopy to cancer susceptibility. This review presents and discusses published epidemiological studies on the association between site-specific cancers and atopy. PubMed was searched electronically for publications between 1995 and 2015, and cited references were researched manually. Quantitative studies relating to atopy, allergy, or asthma and cancer were identified and tabulated. Despite many exposure-related limitations, patterns in the studies were observed. Asthma, specifically, has been observed to be a risk factor for lung cancer. A protective effect of atopic diseases against pancreatic cancer has been shown consistently in case-control studies but not in cohort studies. Allergy of any type appears to be protective against glioma and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Most studies on atopic diseases and non-Hodgkin lymphoma or colorectal cancer reported an inverse association. The other sites identified had varying and non-significant outcomes. Further research should be dedicated to carefully defined exposure assessments of "atopy" as well as the biological plausibility in the association between atopic diseases and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubao Cui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third People's Hospital of Yancheng, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 299 at Jiefangnan Road, Yancheng, 224000, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Andrew W Hill
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
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9
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Rumrich IK, Viluksela M, Vähäkangas K, Gissler M, Surcel HM, Hänninen O. Maternal Smoking and the Risk of Cancer in Early Life - A Meta-Analysis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165040. [PMID: 27824869 PMCID: PMC5100920 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In spite of the well-known harmful effects on the fetus, many women continue smoking during pregnancy. Smoking as an important source of toxic chemicals may contribute to the developmental origin of diseases. OBJECTIVES The aim of this work was to pursue the possible association between maternal smoking and cancer in early life. Specifically, we wanted to identify the associated early life cancer types, and to quantify the associations. METHODS In a systematic literature search 825 articles were identified in PubMed and Web of Science, and 55 more through the reference lists. Of these 62 fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in meta-analyses. Using Mantel-Haenszel or DerSimonian and Laird method, depending on heterogeneity of the studies, pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals for eight cancer types were calculated. RESULTS Smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for for brain and central nervous system tumors (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02-1.17). Although the risk for lymphoma was also associated (OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.05-1.34), it did not hold up in subgroup analyses. Leukemia was not found to be associated with maternal smoking. Five other cancer types (bone, soft tissue, renal, hepatic, and germ cell cancer) were also examined, but the number of studies was too limited to exclude the possibility of maternal smoking as a risk factor for cancer in offspring. CONCLUSIONS According to our meta-analyses, maternal smoking is associated with nervous system cancers, but not with leukemia in early life. Confirming or rejecting associations of maternal smoking with lymphoma and the five other cancer types requires further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell Katharina Rumrich
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Protection, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Matti Viluksela
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Protection, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kirsi Vähäkangas
- School of Pharmacy/Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Finland
| | - Mika Gissler
- Department of Information Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland and Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Family Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heljä-Marja Surcel
- Department of Health Protection, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland
| | - Otto Hänninen
- Department of Health Protection, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
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10
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Reported associations between asthma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia: insights from a hybrid simulation study. Eur J Epidemiol 2016; 31:593-602. [PMID: 26861154 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-016-0126-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have reported a protective association between asthma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but the causal structure of this association remains unclear. We present a hybrid simulation to examine the compatibility of this association with uncontrolled confounding by infection or another unmeasured factor. We generated a synthetic cohort using inputs on the interrelations of asthma, ALL, infections, and other suggested risk factors from the literature and the Danish National Birth Cohort. We computed odds ratios (ORs) between asthma and ALL in the synthetic cohort with and without adjustment for infections and other (including unmeasured) confounders. Only if infection was an extremely strong risk factor for asthma (OR of 10) and an extremely strong protective factor against ALL (OR of 0.1) was the asthma-ALL association compatible with the literature (OR of 0.78). Similarly, strong uncontrolled confounding by an unmeasured factor could downwardly bias the asthma-ALL association, but not enough to replicate findings in the literature. This investigation illustrates that the reported protective association between asthma and ALL is unlikely to be entirely due to uncontrolled confounding by infections or an unmeasured confounder alone. Simulation can be used to advance our understanding of risk factors for rare outcomes as demonstrated by this study.
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11
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Yan K, Xu X, Liu X, Wang X, Hua S, Wang C, Liu X. The associations between maternal factors during pregnancy and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A meta-analysis. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015; 62:1162-70. [PMID: 25728190 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.25443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although genetic and environmental factors are considered to be the main causes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the associations between maternal factors during pregnancy and the childhood ALL is still unclear. PROCEDURE In this study, meta-analysis was used. Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched. The result was assessed based on pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS The pooled ORs showed that there were associations between childhood ALL and the birth order (The first vs others, OR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.00-1.16), the education of pregnant woman (>high school vs ≤ high school, OR = 0.82, 95%CI = 0.77-0.86), smoking (Ever vs never, OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 1.02-1.19). CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis showed that there were important associations between childhood ALL and the birth order, the education of pregnant woman, smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangkang Yan
- Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xuejing Xu
- Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Radiobiology (Ministry of Health), School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xikui Wang
- Department of Statistics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Shucheng Hua
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chunpeng Wang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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12
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Rudant J, Lightfoot T, Urayama KY, Petridou E, Dockerty JD, Magnani C, Milne E, Spector LG, Ashton LJ, Dessypris N, Kang AY, Miller M, Rondelli R, Simpson J, Stiakaki E, Orsi L, Roman E, Metayer C, Infante-Rivard C, Clavel J. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and indicators of early immune stimulation: a Childhood Leukemia International Consortium study. Am J Epidemiol 2015; 181:549-62. [PMID: 25731888 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwu298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The associations between childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and several proxies of early stimulation of the immune system, that is, day-care center attendance, birth order, maternally reported common infections in infancy, and breastfeeding, were investigated by using data from 11 case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (enrollment period: 1980-2010). The sample included 7,399 ALL cases and 11,181 controls aged 2-14 years. The data were collected by questionnaires administered to the parents. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, study, maternal education, and maternal age. Day-care center attendance in the first year of life was associated with a reduced risk of ALL (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.71, 0.84), with a marked inverse trend with earlier age at start (P < 0.0001). An inverse association was also observed with breastfeeding duration of 6 months or more (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.79, 0.94). No significant relationship with a history of common infections in infancy was observed even though the odds ratio was less than 1 for more than 3 infections. The findings of this large pooled analysis reinforce the hypothesis that day-care center attendance in infancy and prolonged breastfeeding are associated with a decreased risk of ALL.
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13
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Ajrouche R, Rudant J, Orsi L, Petit A, Baruchel A, Lambilliotte A, Gambart M, Michel G, Bertrand Y, Ducassou S, Gandemer V, Paillard C, Saumet L, Blin N, Hémon D, Clavel J. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and indicators of early immune stimulation: the Estelle study (SFCE). Br J Cancer 2015; 112:1017-26. [PMID: 25675150 PMCID: PMC4366894 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2015.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Factors related to early stimulation of the immune system (breastfeeding, proxies for exposure to infectious agents, normal delivery, and exposure to animals in early life) have been suggested to decrease the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Methods: The national registry-based case–control study, ESTELLE, was carried out in France in 2010–2011. Population controls were frequency matched with cases on age and gender. The participation rates were 93% for cases and 86% for controls. Data were obtained from structured telephone questionnaires administered to mothers. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using unconditional regression models adjusted for age, gender, and potential confounders. Results: In all, 617 ALL and 1225 controls aged ⩾1 year were included. Inverse associations between ALL and early common infections (OR=0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 1.0), non-first born (⩾3 vs 1; OR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0), attendance of a day-care centre before age 1 year (OR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0), breastfeeding (OR=0.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 1.0), and regular contact with pets (OR=0.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 1.0) in infancy were observed. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that conditions promoting the maturation of the immune system in infancy have a protective role with respect to ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ajrouche
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Sud University, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - J Rudant
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France [3] RNHE-National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies, Villejuif, France
| | - L Orsi
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - A Petit
- 1] AP-HP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Paris, France [2] Université Paris 6 Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - A Baruchel
- 1] AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France [2] Université Paris 7, Paris, France
| | | | - M Gambart
- Hôpital des Enfants, Toulouse, France
| | - G Michel
- AP-HM, Hôpital la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Y Bertrand
- Institut d'Hématologie et d'Oncologie Pédiatrique, Lyon, France
| | - S Ducassou
- Hôpital Pellegrin Tripode, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - C Paillard
- Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France
| | - L Saumet
- Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France
| | - N Blin
- Hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU-Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - D Hémon
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - J Clavel
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France [3] RNHE-National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies, Villejuif, France
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14
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Maia RDRP, Wünsch Filho V. Infection and childhood leukemia: review of evidence. Rev Saude Publica 2014; 47:1172-85. [PMID: 24626555 PMCID: PMC4206105 DOI: 10.1590/s0034-8910.2013047004753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze studies that evaluated the role of infections as well as indirect
measures of exposure to infection in the risk of childhood leukemia,
particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia. METHODS A search in Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO scientific publication databases
initially using the descriptors "childhood leukemia" and "infection" and
later searching for the words "childhood leukemia" and "maternal infection
or disease" or "breastfeeding" or "daycare attendance" or "vaccination"
resulted in 62 publications that met the following inclusion criteria:
subject aged ≤ 15 years; specific analysis of cases diagnosed with acute
lymphoblastic leukemia or total leukemia; exposure assessment of mothers' or
infants' to infections (or proxy of infection), and risk of leukemia. RESULTS Overall, 23 studies that assessed infections in children support the
hypothesis that occurrence of infection during early childhood reduces the
risk of leukemia, but there are disagreements within and between studies.
The evaluation of exposure to infection by indirect measures showed evidence
of reduced risk of leukemia associated mainly with daycare attendance. More
than 50.0% of the 16 studies that assessed maternal exposure to infection
observed increased risk of leukemia associated with episodes of influenza,
pneumonia, chickenpox, herpes zoster, lower genital tract infection, skin
disease, sexually transmitted diseases, Epstein-Barr virus, and
Helicobacter pylori. CONCLUSIONS Although no specific infectious agent has been identified, scientific
evidence suggests that exposure to infections has some effect on childhood
leukemia etiology.
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15
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Musolino C, Allegra A, Minciullo PL, Gangemi S. Allergy and risk of hematologic malignancies: associations and mechanisms. Leuk Res 2014; 38:1137-44. [PMID: 25171954 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that a dysregulated immune system, as the one found in allergic disorders, can affect survival of tumor cells. A possible association between allergies and risk of hematologic malignancies has been examined in several epidemiological studies; however, results were not always consistent. The aim of this review is to report the preclinical and clinical data, which support a correlation between allergy and hematologic neoplasms. Immune system modulation could represent a powerful tool in the prevention and treatment of hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Musolino
- Division of Hematology, Department of General Surgery and Oncology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - A Allegra
- Division of Hematology, Department of General Surgery and Oncology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
| | - P L Minciullo
- School and Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital "G. Martino", Messina, Italy
| | - S Gangemi
- School and Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital "G. Martino", Messina, Italy; Institute of Clinical Physiology, IFC CNR, Messina Unit, Messina, Italy
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16
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Núñez-Enríquez JC, Fajardo-Gutiérrez A, Buchán-Durán EP, Bernáldez-Ríos R, Medina-Sansón A, Jiménez-Hernández E, Amador-Sanchez R, Peñaloza-Gonzalez JG, Paredes-Aguilera R, Alvarez-Rodriguez FJ, Bolea-Murga V, de Diego Flores-Chapa J, Flores-Lujano J, Bekker-Mendez VC, Rivera-Luna R, Del Carmen Rodriguez-Zepeda M, Rangel-López A, Dorantes-Acosta EM, Núñez-Villegas N, Velazquez-Aviña MM, Torres-Nava JR, Reyes-Zepeda NC, Cárdenas-Cardos R, Flores-Villegas LV, Martinez-Avalos A, Salamanca-Gómez F, Gorodezky C, Arellano-Galindo J, Mejía-Aranguré JM. Allergy and acute leukaemia in children with Down syndrome: a population study. Report from the Mexican inter-institutional group for the identification of the causes of childhood leukaemia. Br J Cancer 2013; 108:2334-8. [PMID: 23695017 PMCID: PMC3681010 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2013.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergies have been described as protective factors against the development of childhood acute leukaemia (AL). Our objective was to investigate the associations between allergy history and the development of AL and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children with Down syndrome (DS). METHODS A case-control study was performed in Mexico City. The cases (n=97) were diagnosed at nine public hospitals, and the controls (n=222) were recruited at institutions for children with DS. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated. RESULTS Asthma was positively associated with AL development (OR=4.18; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47-11.87), whereas skin allergies were negatively associated (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.20-0.91). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that allergies and AL in children with DS share biological and immune mechanisms. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting associations between allergies and AL in children with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Núñez-Enríquez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiologia Clínica, Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Avenida Cuauhtémoc 330, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, México D.F. 06720, México.
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17
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Lariou MS, Dikalioti SK, Dessypris N, Baka M, Polychronopoulou S, Athanasiadou-Piperopoulou F, Kalmanti M, Fragandrea I, Moschovi M, Germenis AE, Petridou ET. Allergy and risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia among children: A nationwide case control study in Greece. Cancer Epidemiol 2013. [PMID: 23182223 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2012.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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18
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Vestergaard TR, Rostgaard K, Grau K, Schmiegelow K, Hjalgrim H. Hospitalisation for infection prior to diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60:428-32. [PMID: 22915267 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.24286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been proposed that infections in infancy and early childhood are associated with a reduced risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We tested this hypothesis in a register-based study of hospitalisations for infectious diseases prior to diagnosis of childhood ALL. PROCEDURE A nation-wide cohort encompassing all Danish children aged 0-14 years and born between 1977 and 2008 (N = 1,778,129) was established and followed for hospitalisations for infectious diseases and risk of childhood ALL. The exposure was lagged 1 year to limit reverse causality. In the statistical analyses exposure was defined as (time dependent) number of early or late (before 2 or at/after 2 years of age) hospitalisations to further explore possible age-dependent associations. RESULTS A total of 815 children were diagnosed with ALL during follow-up. Risk of ALL was associated neither with hospitalisations for infectious diseases before (incidence rate ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.78-1.07) nor at/after 2 years of age (incidence rate ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.81-1.32). This also applied to subsets of ALL supposedly initiated prenatally. CONCLUSION The absence of association between hospitalisation for infections and risk of childhood ALL directs future investigations of the role of infections in development of childhood ALL towards exploration of less severe infections.
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19
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Chang JS, Tsai YW, Tsai CR, Wiemels JL. Allergy and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a population-based and record-based study. Am J Epidemiol 2012; 176:970-8. [PMID: 23171876 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kws263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A deficit of normal immune stimulation in early childhood is a suspected risk factor for both childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and allergies. The present study utilized a population-based case-control design using medical claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to evaluate the association between allergy and childhood leukemia. Eight hundred forty-six childhood ALL patients who were newly diagnosed during 2000 to 2008 and were older than 1 but less than 10 years of age were individually matched with 3,374 controls based on sex, birth date, and time of diagnosis (reference date for the controls). Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess the association between childhood ALL and allergies. An increased risk of ALL was observed with having an allergy less than 1 year before the case's ALL diagnosis (odds ratio (OR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5, 2.0), more than 1 year before the case's diagnosis (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.5), and before the age of 1 year (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7). These results suggest that the pathogenesis of childhood ALL and allergy share a common biologic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan.
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20
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Linabery AM, Spector LG. Invited commentary: childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and allergies: biology or bias? Am J Epidemiol 2012; 176:979-83; discussion 984-5. [PMID: 23171875 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kws265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between a personal history of atopy/allergies, both overall and among asthma, eczema, and hay fever investigated separately, and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with some consistency; however, in most of these studies, exposure data were collected by maternal interview. Now, in a population-based and records-based study in this issue of the Journal (Am J Epidemiol. 2012;176(11):970-978), Chang et al. report an increased risk for allergic conditions across different etiologic time periods, calling the former paradigm into doubt. A review of the basic biology literature shows that proposed mechanisms support either a positive or an inverse association. In light of this ambiguity, it is epidemiology's turn to determine the direction of association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Linabery
- Division of Pediatric Epidemiologyand Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
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21
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Turner MC. Epidemiology: allergy history, IgE, and cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2012; 61:1493-510. [PMID: 22183126 PMCID: PMC11028502 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-011-1180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Numerous epidemiological studies have investigated potential associations between allergy history and cancer risk with strong inverse associations reported in studies of pancreatic cancer, glioma, and childhood leukemia. Recently, there has been a rapid expansion of the epidemiological literature both of studies evaluating self-reported allergy history in relation to cancer risk and of studies evaluating biological indicators of allergy history and immune function including levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) E. However, there are several potential methodological limitations associated with prior studies, and further research is required to clarify associations observed. This paper summarizes the recent epidemiological literature examining associations between allergy history and cancer risk. From 2008, a total of 55 epidemiological studies were identified that examined some aspect of the association between allergy and cancer. Although the majority of studies examined self-reported allergy history in relation to cancer risk, there were also studies examining allergy diagnoses or discharges as captured in existing administrative databases, levels of IgE, polymorphisms of allergy, inflammatory- or allergy-related cytokine genes, and concentrations of immune regulatory proteins. The most frequently studied cancer sites included brain and lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers. Potential methodological sources of bias are discussed as well as recommendations for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Turner
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, One Stewart Street, Room 313, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
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22
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Chang JS, Tsai CR, Tsai YW, Wiemels JL. Medically diagnosed infections and risk of childhood leukaemia: a population-based case-control study. Int J Epidemiol 2012; 41:1050-9. [PMID: 22836110 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dys113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies on the association between childhood infections and childhood leukaemia have produced inconsistent results, likely due to the recall error/bias of infection data reported by the parents. The current study used a population-based and record-based case-control design to evaluate the association between childhood leukaemia and infections using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. METHODS In all, 846 childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 193 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2008, aged >1 and <10 years, were included. Up to four controls (3374 for ALL and 766 for AML) individually matched to each case on sex, birth date and time of diagnosis (reference date for the controls) were identified. Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess the association between childhood leukaemia and infections. RESULTS Having any infection before 1 year of age was associated with an increased risk for both childhood ALL (odds ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval 2.2-4.7) and AML (odds ratio = 6.0, 95% confidence interval 2.0-17.8), with a stronger risk associated with more episodes of infections. Similar results were observed for infections occurring >1 year before the cases' diagnosis of childhood leukaemia. CONCLUSIONS Children with leukaemia may have a dysregulated immune function present at an early age, resulting in more episodes of symptomatic infections compared with healthy controls. However, confounding by other infectious measures such as birth order and day care attendance could not be ruled out. Finally, the results are only relevant to the medically diagnosed infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
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23
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Comparison of racial differences in childhood cancer risk in case-control studies and population-based cancer registries. Cancer Epidemiol 2012; 36:36-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2011.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2010] [Revised: 04/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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24
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Zierhut H, Linet MS, Robison LL, Severson RK, Spector L. Family history of cancer and non-malignant diseases and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Children's Oncology Group Study. Cancer Epidemiol 2011; 36:45-51. [PMID: 22018949 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2011.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2010] [Revised: 06/04/2011] [Accepted: 06/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of family history of cancer and non-malignant diseases in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) show inconsistent findings. Most studies show no increased risk with family history of cancer. Non-malignant diseases such as allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, birth defects and thyroid diseases have been reported to be associated with ALL. METHODS We conducted a case-control study of family history of cancer and selected non-malignant conditions (allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, birth defects, and thyroid diseases). ALL cases were obtained from Children's Cancer Group institutions from January 1989 to June 1993. Controls were recruited via random digit dialing. Family history for first degree relatives and grandparents of ALL cases and controls was collected by structured telephone questionnaires. Conditional logistical regression was used to calculate odds ratios adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS We found a borderline association of ALL and having a family member with a history of cancer in cases (n=1842) compared to controls (n=1986) (OR=0.98, 95%CI=0.93, 1.00) and an inverse association for esophageal cancer based on small numbers. Family history of food and drug allergies demonstrated a modestly reduced risk (OR=0.83, 95%CI=0.73, 0.95) as did family history of rheumatoid arthritis (OR=0.79, 95%CI=0.65, 0.96). There were no associations with family history of any autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiencies, birth defects, thyroid diseases and risk of childhood ALL. CONCLUSIONS These results show no association of overall family history of cancer with childhood ALL, while providing additional evidence for an inverse association with family history of allergic disease. Two potentially new associations of ALL with family history of esophageal cancer and rheumatoid arthritis require confirmation in other studies and validation with medical records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Zierhut
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MMC 715 420 Delaware Street, SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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25
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Urayama KY, Ma X, Selvin S, Metayer C, Chokkalingam AP, Wiemels JL, Does M, Chang J, Wong A, Trachtenberg E, Buffler PA. Early life exposure to infections and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Int J Cancer 2010; 128:1632-43. [PMID: 21280034 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.25752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2010] [Accepted: 10/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from a growing number of studies indicates that exposure to common infections early in life may be protective against childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We examined the relationship between three measures of early life exposure to infections-daycare attendance, birth order and common childhood infections in infancy-with the risk of ALL in non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children, two ethnicities that show sociodemographic differences. The analysis included 669 ALL cases (284 non-Hispanic whites and 385 Hispanics) and 977 controls (458 non-Hispanic whites and 519 Hispanics) ages 1-14 years enrolled in the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study (NCCLS). When the three measures were evaluated separately, daycare attendance by the age of 6 months (odds ratio [OR] for each thousand child-hours of exposure = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82-1.00) and birth order (OR for having an older sibling = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50-0.92) were associated with a reduced risk of ALL among non-Hispanic white children but not Hispanic children, whereas ear infection before age 6 months was protective in both ethnic groups. When the three measures were assessed simultaneously, the influence of daycare attendance (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.73-0.94) and having an older sibling (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43-0.83) became stronger for non-Hispanic white children. In Hispanic children, a strong reduction in risk associated with ear infections persisted (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25-0.79). Evidence of a protective role for infection-related exposures early in life is supported by findings in both the non-Hispanic white and Hispanic populations within the NCCLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Y Urayama
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Rudant J, Orsi L, Menegaux F, Petit A, Baruchel A, Bertrand Y, Lambilliotte A, Robert A, Michel G, Margueritte G, Tandonnet J, Mechinaud F, Bordigoni P, Hémon D, Clavel J. Childhood acute leukemia, early common infections, and allergy: The ESCALE Study. Am J Epidemiol 2010; 172:1015-27. [PMID: 20807738 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the role of factors considered related to early stimulation of the immune system in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. The national registry-based case-control study ESCALE was carried out in France in 2003-2004. Population controls were frequency matched to cases on age and gender. Data were obtained from structured telephone questionnaires administered to mothers. Odds ratios were estimated using unconditional regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Included were 634 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases, 86 acute myeloblastic leukemia cases, and 1,494 controls aged ≥1 year. Negative associations were observed between acute lymphoblastic leukemia and birth order (P for trend < 0.0001), attendance at a day-care center before age 1 year (odds ratio (OR) = 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 1.1), prolonged breastfeeding (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0), repeated early common infections (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 0.9), regular contact with farm animals (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5, 0.8), frequent farm visits in early life (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.6), and history of asthma (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.4, 1.0) or eczema (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 0.9). Results support the hypothesis that repeated early infections and asthma may play a role against childhood acute leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Rudant
- CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, INSERM, Villejuif, France
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Chang JS, Wiemels JL, Chokkalingam AP, Metayer C, Barcellos LF, Hansen HM, Aldrich MC, Guha N, Urayama KY, Scélo G, Green J, May SL, Kiley VA, Wiencke JK, Buffler PA. Genetic polymorphisms in adaptive immunity genes and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010; 19:2152-63. [PMID: 20716621 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-10-0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been hypothesized to have an infection- and immune-related etiology. The lack of immune priming in early childhood may result in abnormal immune responses to infections later in life and increase ALL risk. METHODS The current analyses examined the association between childhood ALL and 208 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of 29 adaptive immune function genes among 377 ALL cases and 448 healthy controls. Single SNPs were analyzed with a log-additive approach using logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, Hispanic ethnicity, and race. Sliding window haplotype analyses were done with haplotypes consisting of 2 to 6 SNPs. RESULTS Of the 208 SNPs, only rs583911 of IL12A, which encodes a critical modulator of T-cell development, remained significant after accounting for multiple testing (odds ratio for each copy of the variant G allele, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.85; P = 2.9 x 10(-5)). This increased risk was stronger among firstborn children of all ethnicities and among non-Hispanic children with less day care attendance, consistent with the hypothesis about the role of early immune modulation in the development of childhood ALL. Haplotype analyses identified additional regions of CD28, FCGR2, GATA3, IL2RA, STAT4, and STAT6 associated with childhood ALL. CONCLUSION Polymorphisms of genes on the adaptive immunity pathway are associated with childhood ALL risk. IMPACT Results of this study support an immune-related etiology of childhood ALL. Further confirmation is required to detect functional variants in the significant genomic regions identified in this study, in particular for IL12A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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28
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Linabery AM, Jurek AM, Duval S, Ross JA. The association between atopy and childhood/adolescent leukemia: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol 2010; 171:749-64. [PMID: 20228139 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Atopic disease is hypothesized to be protective against several malignancies, including childhood/adolescent leukemia. To summarize the available epidemiologic evidence, the authors performed a meta-analysis of associations between atopy/allergies, asthma, eczema, hay fever, and hives and childhood/adolescent leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). They searched MEDLINE literature (1952-March 2009) and queried international experts to identify eligible studies. Ten case-control studies were included. Summary odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed via random-effects models. Odds ratios for atopy/allergies were 1.42 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60, 3.35) for 3 studies of leukemia overall, 0.69 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.89) for 6 studies of ALL, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.22) for 2 studies of AML, with high levels of heterogeneity detected for leukemia overall and ALL. Inverse associations were observed for ALL and asthma (odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.61, 1.02), eczema (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.96), and hay fever (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.66) examined separately. Odds ratios for ALL differed by study design, exposure data source, and latency period, indicating that these factors affect study results. These results should be interpreted cautiously given the modest number of studies, substantial heterogeneity, and potential exposure misclassification but are useful in designing future research.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Asthma/epidemiology
- Asthma/immunology
- Case-Control Studies
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Confidence Intervals
- Dermatitis, Atopic/epidemiology
- Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology
- Humans
- Hypersensitivity, Immediate/epidemiology
- Hypersensitivity, Immediate/immunology
- Incidence
- Infant
- Infant, Newborn
- Leukemia/epidemiology
- Leukemia/immunology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/epidemiology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/immunology
- Multivariate Analysis
- Odds Ratio
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/epidemiology
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/immunology
- Prevalence
- Research Design
- Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/epidemiology
- Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/immunology
- Urticaria/epidemiology
- Urticaria/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Linabery
- Division of Pediatric Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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29
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Urayama KY, Buffler PA, Gallagher ER, Ayoob JM, Ma X. A meta-analysis of the association between day-care attendance and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Int J Epidemiol 2010; 39:718-32. [PMID: 20110276 PMCID: PMC2878455 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyp378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) may be the result of a rare response to common infection(s) acquired by personal contact with infected individuals. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between day-care attendance and risk of childhood ALL, specifically to address whether early-life exposure to infection is protective against ALL. Methods Searches of the PubMed database and bibliographies of publications on childhood leukaemia and infections were conducted. Observational studies of any size or location and published in English resulted in the inclusion of 14 case–control studies. Results The combined odds ratio (OR) based on the random effects model indicated that day-care attendance is associated with a reduced risk of ALL [OR = 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67, 0.87]. In subgroup analyses evaluating the influence of timing of exposure, a similarly reduced effect was observed for both day-care attendance occurring early in life (≤2 years of age) (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.95) and day-care attendance with unspecified timing (anytime prior to diagnosis) (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.94). Similar findings were observed with seven studies in which common ALL were analysed separately. The reduced risk estimates persisted in sensitivity analyses that examined the sources of study heterogeneity. Conclusions This analysis provides strong support for an association between exposure to common infections in early childhood and a reduced risk of ALL. Implications of a ‘hygiene’-related aetiology suggest that some form of prophylactic intervention in infancy may be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Y Urayama
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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30
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Chang JS, Buffler PA, Metayer C, Chokkalingam AP, Patoka J, Kronish D, Wiemels JL. Maternal immunoglobulin E and childhood leukemia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009; 18:2221-7. [PMID: 19622720 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-09-0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood leukemia, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), has long been hypothesized to be affected by abnormal immune responses to microbial challenges stemming from a lack of immune modulation in early childhood. Studies of allergies suggest that a child's immune development may be modulated by maternal immune status. We conducted a study to explore the relationship between maternal immunoglobulin E (IgE) and childhood leukemia and to investigate whether maternal immune status can influence childhood leukemia risk. Serum total and specific IgE (respiratory and food) were measured in biological mothers of 352 children (193 healthy controls and 159 leukemia cases, including 139 ALL cases) ages <8 years who were enrolled in the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study. Odds ratios associated with maternal IgE were calculated using unconditional logistic regression adjusted for child's age, sex, race/ethnicity, and annual household income. A positive association between childhood leukemia or ALL and elevated levels of maternal serum total IgE was observed, especially among Hispanics. In addition, a positive association was observed between childhood leukemia or ALL and maternal respiratory or food IgE status. These results suggest that maternal immune function may play a crucial role in the etiology of childhood leukemia, although additional studies need to be conducted to confirm the results of this study and provide a perspective on mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-1215, USA.
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Abstract
This review considers recent studies regarding the role of environmental factors in the etiology of childhood leukemia and lymphoma. Potential environmental risk factors identified for childhood leukemia include exposure to magnetic fields of more than 0.4 micro Tessla, exposure to pesticides, solvents, benzene and other hydrocarbons, maternal alcohol consumption (but only for certain genotypes), contaminated drinking water, infections, and high birth weight. The finding of space-time clustering and seasonal variation also supports a role for infections. There is little evidence linking childhood leukemia with lifetime exposure to ionizing radiation although fetal exposures to X-rays are associated with increased risk. Breast-feeding, consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and having allergies all appear to be protective. Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is confined to areas of the world where malaria is endemic, with the additional involvement of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as a co-factor. Environmental risk factors suggested for other types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) include exposure to ionizing radiation (both lifetime and antenatal), pesticides, and, in utero exposure to cigarette smoke, benzene and nitrogen dioxide (via the mother). Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is especially associated with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation, but breast-feeding seems to confer lower risk. This is consistent with an infection or immune-response mediated etiology for HL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Q McNally
- School of Clinical Medical Sciences, Child Health, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
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32
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Infectious proxies and childhood leukaemia: Findings from the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study (UKCCS). Blood Cells Mol Dis 2009; 42:126-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2008.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2008] [Accepted: 10/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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33
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Chang JS, Wiemels JL, Buffler PA. Allergies and childhood leukemia. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2008; 42:99-104. [PMID: 19049852 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2008.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2008] [Accepted: 10/17/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A majority of studies to date have reported an inversed association between allergies and childhood leukemia. However, this association is likely an indirect one and may represent some shared underlying immune mechanisms that have been explained in the context of the "hygiene hypothesis", which has been thought to play an important role in the development of both allergies and childhood leukemia. This review focuses on what we know so far about the role of various immune cells (Th1, Th2, T regulatory and Th17 cells) in the development of allergies and how they may potentially be related to the etiology of childhood leukemia. In addition, the utilities of genetic and molecular studies to disentangle the association between allergies and childhood leukemia and to elucidate the biological mechanisms are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 44 Page Street, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-1215, USA.
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34
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Jensen-Jarolim E, Achatz G, Turner MC, Karagiannis S, Legrand F, Capron M, Penichet ML, Rodríguez JA, Siccardi AG, Vangelista L, Riemer AB, Gould H. AllergoOncology: the role of IgE-mediated allergy in cancer. Allergy 2008; 63:1255-66. [PMID: 18671772 DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01768.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have suggested inverse associations between allergic diseases and malignancies. As a proof of concept for the capability of immunoglobulin E (IgE) to destruct tumor cells, several experimental strategies have evolved to specifically target this antibody class towards relevant tumor antigens. It could be demonstrated that IgE antibodies specific to overexpressed tumor antigens have been superior to any other immunoglobulin class with respect to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and phagocytosis (ADCP) reactions. In an alternative approach, IgE nonspecifically attached to tumor cells proved to be a powerful adjuvant establishing tumor-specific immune memory. Active Th2 immunity could also be achieved by applying an oral immunization regimen using mimotopes, i.e. epitope mimics of tumor antigens. The induced IgE antibodies could be cross-linked by live tumor cells leading to tumoricidic mediator release. Thus, IgE antibodies may not only act in natural tumor surveillance, but could possibly also be exploited for tumor control in active and passive immunotherapy settings. Thereby, eosinophils, mast cells and macrophages can be armed with the cytophilic IgE and become potent anti-tumor effectors, able to trace viable tumor cells in the tissues. It is strongly suggested that the evolving new field AllergoOncology will give new insights into the role of IgE-mediated allergy in malignancies, possibly opening new avenues for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Jensen-Jarolim
- Department of Pathophysiology, Center of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Immunology, Medical University Vienna, Austria
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35
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HLA-associated susceptibility to childhood B-cell precursor ALL: definition and role of HLA-DPB1 supertypes. Br J Cancer 2008; 98:1125-31. [PMID: 18334973 PMCID: PMC2275491 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood B-cell precursor (BCP) ALL is thought to be caused by a delayed immune response to an unidentified postnatal infection. An association between BCP ALL and HLA class II (DR, DQ, DP) alleles could provide further clues to the identity of the infection, since HLA molecules exhibit allotype-restricted binding of infection-derived antigenic peptides. We clustered >30 HLA-DPB1 alleles into six predicted peptide-binding supertypes (DP1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8), based on amino acid di-morphisms at positions 11 (G/L), 69 (E/K), and 84 (G/D) of the DPβ1 domain. We found that the DPβ11-69-84 supertype GEG (DP2), was 70% more frequent in BCP ALL (n=687; P<10−4), and 98% more frequent in cases diagnosed between 3 and 6 years (P<10−4), but not <3 or >6 years, than in controls. Only one of 21 possible DPB1 supergenotypes, GEG/GKG (DP2/DP4) was significantly more frequent in BCP ALL (P=0.00004) than controls. These results suggest that susceptibility to BCP ALL is associated with the DP2 supertype, which is predicted to bind peptides with positively charged, nonpolar aromatic residues at the P4 position, and hydrophobic residues at the P1 and P6 positions. Studies of peptide binding by DP2 alleles could help to identify infection(s) carrying these peptides.
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36
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Hughes AM, Lightfoot T, Simpson J, Ansell P, McKinney PA, Kinsey SE, Mitchell CD, Eden TOB, Greaves M, Roman E. Allergy and risk of childhood leukaemia: results from the UKCCS. Int J Cancer 2007; 121:819-24. [PMID: 17390373 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.22702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between childhood leukaemia and preceding history of allergy. A nationwide case-control study of childhood cancers was conducted in the United Kingdom with population-based sampling of cases (n = 839) and controls (n = 1,337), matched on age, sex and region of residence. Information about clinically diagnosed allergies was obtained from primary care records. More than a third of subjects had at least one allergy diagnosed prior to leukaemia diagnosis (cases) or pseudo-diagnosis (controls). For both total acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and common-ALL/precursor B-cell ALL (c-ALL), a history of eczema was associated with a 30% significant reduction in risk: the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.70 (0.51-0.97) and 0.68 (0.48-0.98), respectively. Similar associations were observed for hayfever (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.26-0.85 and OR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.33-1.16 for ALL and c-ALL, respectively). No such patterns were seen either for asthma and ALL, or for any allergy and acute myeloid leukaemia. A comparative analysis of primary care records with parents recall of allergy revealed only moderate agreement with contemporaneous clinical diagnoses for both cases and controls--confirming the unreliability of parental report at interview. Our finding of a reciprocal relationship between allergy and ALL in children is compatible with the hypothesis that a dysregulated immune response is a critical determinant of childhood ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Hughes
- Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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37
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Simpson J, Smith A, Ansell P, Roman E. Childhood leukaemia and infectious exposure: a report from the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study (UKCCS). Eur J Cancer 2007; 43:2396-403. [PMID: 17826085 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2007.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2007] [Revised: 07/24/2007] [Accepted: 07/31/2007] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Data from a national case-control study are used to explore the relationships between childhood leukaemia, infant infection and three markers of infectious exposure - birth order, infant-activity group attendance and area-based deprivation. Amongst controls, clinically diagnosed infection in the first year varied little with birth order and infant-activity group attendance - with 4 in 5 children having at least one infection, and each child averaging around 2.9 (2.8-3.0). Amongst cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the levels of infection increased as the indices of infectious exposure increased - for example, odds ratios associated with at least one infection in the first year being 0.9 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6-1.4) for birth order one and 1.6 (95% CI: 1.1-2.2) for birth order two or more. By contrast, interview data were misleading, with mothers - particularly case mothers - consistently under-reporting. We conclude that the findings based on clinical data, combined with the markers of infectious exposure, confirm the observation that immune dysregulation among children who develop ALL is detectable from an early age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Simpson
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, YO10 5DD, UK.
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38
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Callen J, Chamlin S, Eichenfield LF, Ellis C, Girardi M, Goldfarb M, Hanifin J, Lee P, Margolis D, Paller AS, Piacquadio D, Peterson W, Kaulback K, Fennerty M, Wintroub BU. A systematic review of the safety of topical therapies for atopic dermatitis. Br J Dermatol 2007; 156:203-21. [PMID: 17223859 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2006.07538.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The safety of topical therapies for atopic dermatitis (AD), a common and morbid disease, has recently been the focus of increased scrutiny, adding confusion as how best to manage these patients. OBJECTIVES The objective of these systematic reviews was to determine the safety of topical therapies for AD. METHODS Databases searched included: OVID Medline, Medline In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. In addition to the articles identified by this search, investigators were also referred to a list of links (most recently updated 25 September 2005) to recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) studies, reports and meetings regarding the topical calcineurin inhibitors for further potential references. Only fully published papers available in English and data obtained from FDA sites were included. Furthermore, the criteria for inclusion and exclusion for each systematic review were further evaluated at a meeting of all of the content and evidence-based medicine experts participating in this process and alteration of the inclusion criteria was done at that time when it was felt necessary to avoid inclusion of lower-quality data in the review. Qualitative review of the abstracted data was performed and reviewed at a meeting of all of the content and evidence-based medicine experts. RESULTS While systemic exposure to these topical agents does occur, physiological changes appear to be uncommon and systemic complications rare and have only been found with use of topical corticosteroids. CONCLUSIONS Based on the data that are available the overall safety of AD therapies appears to be good with the only documented systemic side-effects of therapy those occasionally seen with use of topical corticosteroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Callen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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Kim AS, Eastmond DA, Preston RJ. Childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia and perspectives on risk assessment of early-life stage exposures. MUTATION RESEARCH-REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2006; 613:138-60. [PMID: 17049456 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2006.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2006] [Revised: 09/05/2006] [Accepted: 09/05/2006] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recognition that children are a potentially susceptible subpopulation has led to the development of child-specific sensitivity factors. Establishing reliable sensitivity factors in support of risk assessment of early-life stage exposures can be aided by evaluating studies that enhance our understanding both of the biological basis of disease processes and the potential role of environmental exposures in disease etiology. For these reasons, we evaluated childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) studies from the point of view of mechanism and etiology. ALL is the most common form of childhood cancer proposed to result from a prenatal primary event and a postnatal second event. This multi-stage model is supported by the observation that chromosomal translocations/fusion genes (e.g., TEL-AML1) involved in producing ALL are detected at birth (prenatal event), and a postnatal event (e.g., TEL deletion) is required for disease manifestation. It appears that a proportion of ALL cases are the result of environmental exposures, in which case preconceptional, prenatal, and postnatal stages are likely to be critical exposure windows. To this end, we recognized postnatal infection-related risk factors as potential candidates associated with the ALL second event. Additionally, we discuss use of ALL-associated fusion genes and genetic polymorphisms, together or separately, as indicators of ALL susceptibility and increased risk. The possibility of using fusion genes alone as biomarkers of response is also discussed because they can serve as predictors of key events in the development of a mode of action (a sequence of key events, starting with interaction of an agent with a cell, ultimately resulting in cancer formation) for particular environmental exposures. Furthermore, we discuss use of an initiated animal model for ALL, namely transgenic mice with TEL-AML1 expression, for exploring mechanisms by which different classes of environmental exposures could be involved in inducing the postnatal step in ALL formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Kim
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue (MC: 8623D), Washington, DC 20460, USA.
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40
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Paltiel O, Laniado DE, Yanetz R, Deutsch L, Calderon-Margalit R, Harlap S, Friedlander Y. The Risk of Cancer following Hospitalization for Infection in Infancy: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006; 15:1964-8. [PMID: 17035406 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-06-0313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relation between infections in infancy and subsequent cancer risk in children and young adults is controversial. Our aim was to examine this association in the Jerusalem Perinatal Study, a population-based cohort comprising all offspring from western Jerusalem and surroundings born from 1964 to 1976. METHODS Identity numbers of non-malformed singletons with recorded data about hospital admission in the 1st year of life (n = 24,554) were linked to the Population and Cancer Registries. Person-year incidence rates were calculated for the exposed (admitted for infection) and nonexposed (not admitted for infection) groups from birth to date of cancer diagnosis, death, or December 31, 2004. We used Cox proportional hazards models to adjust for covariates associated with hospitalization. RESULTS The median follow-up was 36 years. Cancer developed in 283 individuals. Hospitalization for infection was not associated with overall cancer risk [risk ratio (RR), 0.88; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.56-1.37]. The incidence rate for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was higher in the exposed compared with the nonexposed group (RR, 3.46; 95% CI, 1.38-8.68), remaining unchanged after controlling for birth weight, gender, and maternal education. Leukemia risk was not significantly associated (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.06-3.24) with hospitalization for infection. CONCLUSIONS Hospital admission in the 1st year of life due to infection is associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is consistent with observations that mild immunodeficiencies predispose to lymphoma. Survival of infants with subtle immune defects, who may have previously succumbed to their infection, may contribute to the increased incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma observed over the last 50 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ora Paltiel
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
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41
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Wang H, Rothenbacher D, Löw M, Stegmaier C, Brenner H, Diepgen TL. Atopic diseases, immunoglobulin E and risk of cancer of the prostate, breast, lung and colorectum. Int J Cancer 2006; 119:695-701. [PMID: 16506215 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.21883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing epidemiological evidence for a role of allergic/atopic disorders in cancer development. However, findings have been inconsistent, which may be partly due to differences in defining allergy and the associated atopic disorders. The use of a biological marker for atopy may enhance the exploration of the association with cancer risks. To examine the association of atopy with common malignancies, we compared the prevalence of atopy in 318 patients with prostate cancer, 381 patients with breast cancer, 196 patients with lung cancer, 477 patients with colorectal cancer and 4,271 controls in a case-control analysis of participants of 2 prospective studies conducted in Saarland, Germany. Data on physician-diagnosed atopy-related diseases (asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis) were obtained by self-administered questionnaire. Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) was assessed among cases and controls to define atopy. We observed a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio (OR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.83) and a tentatively, statistically not significant increased risk of breast cancer (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.87-1.66) and lung cancer (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.87-1.92) with specific IgE positivity. No consistent associations were found with atopy-related diseases. Our findings are consistent with other epidemiological evidence suggesting an increased risk of prostate cancer with atopy and indicate a complex association between atopy/atopy-related diseases and cancer risk that varies by type of atopy-related disorders and the particular type of cancer under consideration. The effect on cancer risk by atopy, defined by IgE reactivity, may differ from the effect by atopy-related clinically defined diseases such as asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Clinical Social Medicine, University of Heidelberg, and Unit of Health Monitoring, Saarland Cancer Registry, Saarbrücken, Germany
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