title: The effect of atopy, childhood crowding, and other immune-related factors on non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk.
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.
authors.affiliation: 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. wcozen@usc.edu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cozen
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cerhan
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Martinez-Maza
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linet
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Colt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Severson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartge
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D001722:Birth Order; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003441:Crowding; D004485:Eczema / Q000150:complications; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018426:SEER Program