Linoleic acid, vitamin D and other nutrient intakes in the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an Italian case-control study.
BACKGROUND
Dietary habits have been suggested as a factor related to the increase of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) incidence in western populations, but the role of individual nutrients is still unclear.


METHODS
A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Italy, 1999-2002.


METHODS
190 incident, histologically-confirmed NHL cases aged 18-84 years.


METHODS
484 subjects admitted to hospital for acute, non-neoplastic diseases unrelated to diet. Dietary habits were assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire; nutrient intakes were computed using the Italian food composition database. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for tertiles of intake of nutrient were computed using the energy-adjusted residual models.


RESULTS
Inverse association emerged for polyunsaturated fatty acids (OR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9), linoleic acid (OR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9), and vitamin D (OR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9). The protective effect for linoleic acid (OR=0.3; 95% CI: 0.2-0.7) and vitamin D (OR=0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) was stronger in women; no differences emerged according to age. Linoleic acid was inversely related to follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; the protective effect of vitamin D emerged most clearly for follicular subtypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of NHL.
Unità di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy. epidemiology@cro.it
J
J
Polesel
R
R
Talamini
M
M
Montella
M
M
Parpinel
L
L
Dal Maso
A
A
Crispo
M
M
Crovatto
M
M
Spina
C
C
La Vecchia
S
S
Franceschi
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014807:Vitamin D; D019787:Linoleic Acid