Dietary folate, alcohol consumption, and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Dietary deficiency of folate and other micronutrients involved in the one-carbon metabolism (i.e., vitamins B2, B6, B12, and methionine) have been related to several diseases, including cancers, but results on non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are controversial. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Italy, in 1999-2002. Cases were 190 incident, histologically confirmed NHL aged 18-84 years. Controls were 484 subjects admitted to hospitals for acute, non-neoplastic diseases supposed to be unrelated to alcohol consumption or to diet modification. Dietary habits, including alcohol drinking, 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 for tertiles of nutrients' intake were computed using the energy-adjusted residual models. No significant association emerged between NHL risk and intakes of folate (OR=0.9), vitamin B2 (OR=0.9), vitamin B6 (OR=0.8), and methionine (OR=0.7). However, a significant inverse association was observed for all the nutrients examined among abstainers and former drinkers, whereas no relations between one-carbon nutrients and NHL risk emerged among current alcohol drinkers. Our findings support the possibility of an antagonist effect of alcohol on the one-carbon metabolism in NHL etiology. However, the lack of an overall effect for one-carbon nutrients and the small sample size suggested caution in interpreting our results.
Polesel
Jerry
J
Unità di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy. polesel@cro.it
Dal Maso
Luigino
L
La Vecchia
Carlo
C
Montella
Maurizio
M
Spina
Michele
M
Crispo
Anna
A
Talamini
Renato
R
Franceschi
Silvia
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D002244:Carbon; D005492:Folic Acid