title: History of allergies and autoimmune diseases and risk of brain tumors in adults.
abstract: To explore a possible influence of the immune system in the development of brain tumors, we evaluated the relationship between history of allergies and autoimmune diseases and risk of brain tumors within a large, hospital-based case-control study. Cases (n = 782) were patients recently diagnosed with glioma (n = 489), meningioma (n = 197) or acoustic neuroma (n = 96) at hospitals in Boston, Phoenix and Pittsburgh (USA). Controls (n =799) were patients hospitalized for a variety of nonmalignant conditions and frequency-matched to cases by hospital, age, sex, race/ethnicity and distance of residence from hospital. Research nurses collected data by personal interview of patients. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. There was a significant inverse association between glioma and history of any allergies (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.52-0.86) or autoimmune diseases (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.35-0.69). No significant associations were evident for meningioma or acoustic neuroma with history of any allergies. An inverse association was observed between meningioma and history of autoimmune diseases (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.38-0.92). There was a suggestion of interaction between allergies and autoimmune diseases on risk of glioma (p = 0.06), with subjects having both conditions being at lowest risk (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.14-0.42). Among the specific conditions, asthma and diabetes showed the most consistent associations (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.43-0.92 and OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.27-0.70, respectively). Our results add to evidence that persons with allergies or autoimmune diseases are at reduced risk of glioma. The basis of the associations is not clear, but they might imply a role of immunologic factors in the development of brain tumors. Published 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7362, USA. brennera@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Alina V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Martha S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Linet
authors.forename: Howard A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Selker
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Inskip
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007182:Income; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000276:immunology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors