Autoimmune disease is a risk factor for the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship of prior autoimmune disease to the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).


METHODS
Patients with NHL (n = 278) seen from 1993 to 2002 were compared with a group of patients with other hematological disorders (controls, n = 317) seen at the same time. All patients were questioned about prior autoimmune disease. Comparisons between NHL patients and controls were based on analysis of a 2 2 table of counts using Fisher's exact test. Analysis of the effect of autoimmune disease on NHL status, controlling for other risk factors, was performed using logistic regression.


RESULTS
Thirty-six (13%) NHL patients had a prior autoimmune disease compared to 5% of controls (p = 0.001). Sixty-nine percent of NHL patients with a prior autoimmune disease were female compared to 43% without a prior autoimmune disease, and this was similar in control patients, 69% and 48%, respectively. Twenty percent of all women with NHL had a history of autoimmune disease compared to 7% of women in the control group (p = 0.001). Nineteen of the NHL patients with autoimmune disease (56%) received immunosuppressive treatment compared to 5 (38%) in the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Autoimmune disease may account in part for the increase in NHL, especially in women.
Cuttner
Janet
J
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1735 York Avenue, New York, NY 10128, USA. janet.cuttner@mssm.edu
Spiera
Harry
H
Troy
Kevin
K
Wallenstein
Sylvan
S
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors