Acute myelocytic leukemia and prior allergies.
The relationship between prior allergies and adult acute myelocytic leukemia was investigated in a population-based case-control study. Based on data from personal interviews of 98 cases and 133 controls, a history of any type of allergy was associated with a significantly decreased risk of acute myelocytic leukemia (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.20-0.60). Risk declined with the total number of specific allergies reported (p less than 0.001), and was reduced in relation to a history of prior asthma, eczema and hives. The implications of these findings in relation to natural immune surveillance against developing neoplasms are discussed.
Severson
R K
RK
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
Davis
S
S
Thomas
D B
DB
Stevens
R G
RG
Heuser
L
L
Sever
L E
LE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012042:Registries; D012306:Risk; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology