Childhood acute leukemia, early common infections, and allergy: The ESCALE Study.
This study investigated the role of factors considered related to early stimulation of the immune system in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. The national registry-based case-control study ESCALE was carried out in France in 2003-2004. Population controls were frequency matched to cases on age and gender. Data were obtained from structured telephone questionnaires administered to mothers. Odds ratios were estimated using unconditional regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Included were 634 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases, 86 acute myeloblastic leukemia cases, and 1,494 controls aged ≥1 year. Negative associations were observed between acute lymphoblastic leukemia and birth order (P for trend < 0.0001), attendance at a day-care center before age 1 year (odds ratio (OR) = 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 1.1), prolonged breastfeeding (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0), repeated early common infections (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 0.9), regular contact with farm animals (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5, 0.8), frequent farm visits in early life (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.6), and history of asthma (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.4, 1.0) or eczema (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 0.9). Results support the hypothesis that repeated early infections and asthma may play a role against childhood acute leukemia.
Rudant
Jérémie
J
CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, INSERM, Villejuif, France.
Orsi
Laurent
L
Menegaux
Florence
F
Petit
Arnaud
A
Baruchel
André
A
Bertrand
Yves
Y
Lambilliotte
Anne
A
Robert
Alain
A
Michel
Gérard
G
Margueritte
Geneviève
G
Tandonnet
Julie
J
Mechinaud
Françoise
F
Bordigoni
Pierre
P
Hémon
Denis
D
Clavel
Jacqueline
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D001722:Birth Order; D001942:Breast Feeding; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires