title: Primary brain tumours and specific serum immunoglobulin E: a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Case-control studies suggest that patients with allergic diseases have a lower risk of developing glioma but not meningioma or schwannoma. However, those data can be differentially biased. Prospective studies with objective measurements of immunologic biomarkers, like immunoglobulin E (IgE), in blood obtained before cancer diagnosis could help to clarify whether an aetiological association exists.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) measured specific serum IgE as a biomarker for the most common inhalant allergens in 275 glioma, 175 meningioma and 49 schwannoma cases and 963 matched controls using the ImmunoCAP specific IgE test. Subjects with an IgE level ≥0.35 kUA/l (kilo antibody units per litre) were classified as sensitized by allergens. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by adjusted conditional logistic regression models for each tumour subtype. The effect of dose-response relationship was assessed in five increasing IgE level categories to estimate P-values for trend.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk of glioma was inversely related to allergic sensitization (OR = 0.73; 95% CI 0.51-1.06), especially pronounced in women (OR = 0.53; 95% CI 0.30-0.95). In dose-response analyses, for high-grade glioma, the lowest OR was observed in sera with the highest IgE levels (P for trend = 0.04). No association was seen for meningioma and schwannoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results, based on serum samples prospectively collected in a cohort study, provide some support for the hypothesis that individuals with allergic sensitization are at reduced risk of glioma and confirm results from previous case-control studies.
authors: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany. b.schlehofer@dkfz.de
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Schlehofer
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Siegmund
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Linseisen
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Schüz
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Rohrmann
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Becker
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Michaud
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Melin
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita
authors: P H M
authors: PH
authors: Peeters
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Vineis
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Tjonneland
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Olsen
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Overvad
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Romieu
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Boeing
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Aleksandrova
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Trichopoulou
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Bamia
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Lagiou
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Sacerdote
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Palli
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Panico
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sieri
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Tumino
authors: M-J
authors: MJ
authors: Sanchez
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Rodriguez
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Dorronsoro
authors: E J
authors: EJ
authors: Duell
authors: M-D
authors: MD
authors: Chirlaque
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Barricarte
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Borgquist
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Manjer
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Gallo
authors: N E
authors: NE
authors: Allen
authors: T J
authors: TJ
authors: Key
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Riboli
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Kaaks
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Wahrendorf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E