title: Occupational exposure to immunologically active agents and risk for lymphoma: the European Epilymph case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Allergies and asthma may be protective for the development of lymphoma. We evaluated whether occupational allergens that provoke immune reactivity and asthma through an IgE-mediated pathway are protective for lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Epilymph study includes histologically or cytologically confirmed Hodgkin, B-cell, and T-cell lymphoma cases from six European countries (Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Czech Republic) recruited in 1998-2004. Controls were frequency matched to cases by age, gender, and study centre. Lifetime occupational exposure to seven high molecular weight (HMW) agents was evaluated through an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix. 2205 lymphoma cases and 2296 controls with complete occupational history could be included in the analysis. Associations between HMW exposures and lymphoma were evaluated using pooled unconditional logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals exposed to HMW agents had a non-statistically significant decreased risk of any lymphoma (OR, 0.88: 95% CI, 0.74-1.05) and of B-cell lymphoma (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.76-1.09), and a significantly decreased risk for Hodgkin lymphoma (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.98). A decrease in risk for lymphoma was found for exposure to latex (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.99).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further epidemiologic and mechanistic research is needed to confirm that occupational exposure to HMW agents predisposing to asthma can reduce the risk of lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Jan-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zock
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Benavente
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cocco
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Foretova
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maynadié
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staines
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nieters
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kogevinas
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Sanjose
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D059366:Asthma, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D016015:Logistic Models; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E