title: Childhood acute leukemia, early common infections, and allergy: The ESCALE Study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, INSERM, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Jérémie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rudant
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orsi
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Menegaux
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baruchel
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lambilliotte
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Margueritte
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tandonnet
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mechinaud
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bordigoni
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hémon
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clavel
mesh_terms: 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