Medical history and risk of lymphoma: results of a European case-control study (EPILYMPH).
BACKGROUND
Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of immune-cell malignancies. Immunology-related conditions are among the few factors for which consistent evidence exists relating them to lymphoma risk.


METHODS
We used the data from the European case-control study Epilymph on 2,362 lymphoma cases and 2,458 controls to investigate associations between a medical history of infectious and non-infectious diseases with overall and subentity-specific lymphoma risk.


RESULTS
As key results, we observed an increased odds ratio (OR) for self-reported infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV, OR = 1.91, 95% CL = 1.24-2.94) and a null result for rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, we found an increased OR for infectious mononucleosis (OR = 1.68, 95% CL = 1.14-2.48), an inverse association to frequency of sickness in childhood (OR = 0.68, 95% CL = 0.55-0.84), and-as casual finding-an increased OR with acetaminophen intake (OR = 2.29, 95% CL = 1.49-3.51).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results are consistent with the current knowledge about the association with mononucleosis as indicator of Epstein-Barr-virus infection, suggest serological study of the association to HBV infection and do not support the view of a positive association between rheumatoid arthritis and lymphoma risk.
Becker
Nikolaus
N
Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. n.becker@dkfz.de
Fortuny
Joan
J
Alvaro
Tomas
T
Nieters
Alexandra
A
Maynadié
Marc
M
Foretova
Lenka
L
Staines
Anthony
A
Brennan
Paul
P
Boffetta
Paolo
P
Cocco
Pier Luigi
PL
de Sanjose
Silvia
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000150:complications; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors