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The effect of atopy, childhood crowding, and other immune-related factors on non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk

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Abstract

Objective

Since adult immune responsiveness is influenced by early childhood exposures, we examined the role of family size, history of atopic disease, and other childhood immune-related exposures in a multi-center case–control study of NHL.

Methods

Interviews were completed with 1,321 cases ascertained from population-based cancer registries in Seattle, Detroit, Los Angeles and Iowa, and with 1,057 frequency-matched controls, selected by random-digit dialing and from the Medicare files database. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate risk.

Results

A history of any allergy (excluding drug allergies), decreased risk of all NHL (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.7, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.6–1.0), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL] (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4–0.9), and follicular NHL (OR = 0.7, 95 CI = 0.5, 1.0). A similar effect was observed for hay fever. A history of eczema was associated with an increased risk of follicular lymphoma (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1–3.4), but not DLBCL (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6–2.0). Asthma did not affect risk. Youngest compared to oldest siblings had a 90% increased risk of DLBCL (95% CI = 1.2–3.1; p for trend with increasing birth order = 0.006), but not follicular lymphoma (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6–1.8).

Conclusions

We infer that some childhood and immune-related factors may alter NHL risk.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the effort of the study coordinators and interviewers and also of Lonn Irish and Michael Stagner of Information Management Systems, Silver Springs, MD, and Geoffrey Tobias, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, for help in preparing the manuscript.

Supported by

This study was supported by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program under contracts N01-PC-35139, N01 PC065064, NO1-PC-67008, N01-PC-71105, and N01-PC67009 awarded to the University of Southern California, Wayne State University, University of Washington and Mayo Clinic. This study was also supported by grants P01 CA17054, P30 ES07048, and the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA014089, funded by the National Cancer Institute from the National Institutes of Health awarded to the University of Southern California. The collection of cancer incidence data in Los Angeles County was supported by the California Department of Health Services as part of the statewide cancer reporting program mandated by California Health and Safety Code Section 103885 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries, under agreement #U55/CCR921930-02 awarded to the Public Health Institute. The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and endorsement by the State of California, Department of Health Services, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or their Contractors and Subcontractors is not intended nor should be inferred. O. Martinez-Maza’s work on this project was supported by grants CA73475, and CA57152 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, MC 9175, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9175, USA

    W. Cozen & L. Bernstein

  2. Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    W. Cozen

  3. Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA

    J. R. Cerhan

  4. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    O. Martinez-Maza

  5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    O. Martinez-Maza

  6. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    M. H. Ward, M. Linet, J. S. Colt & P. Hartge

  7. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    S. Davis

  8. Karmanos Cancer Institute and Department of Family Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

    R. K. Severson

Authors
  1. W. Cozen
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  2. J. R. Cerhan
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  9. P. Hartge
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  10. L. Bernstein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. Cozen.

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Cozen, W., Cerhan, J.R., Martinez-Maza, O. et al. The effect of atopy, childhood crowding, and other immune-related factors on non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk. Cancer Causes Control 18, 821–831 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-007-9025-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-007-9025-5

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