1
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Atre T, Farrokhi A, Jo S, Salitra S, Duque-Afonso J, Cleary ML, Rolf N, Reid GSD. Age and ligand specificity influence the outcome of pathogen engagement on preleukemic and leukemic B-cell precursor populations. Blood Adv 2023; 7:7087-7099. [PMID: 37824841 PMCID: PMC10694525 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Common infections have long been proposed to play a role in the development of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, epidemiologic studies report contradictory effects of infection exposure on subsequent B-ALL risk, and no specific pathogen has been definitively linked to the disease. A unifying mechanism to explain the divergent outcomes could inform disease prevention strategies. We previously reported that the pattern recognition receptor (PRR) ligand Poly(I:C) exerted effects on B-ALL cells that were distinct from those observed with other nucleic acid-based PRR ligands. Here, using multiple double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) moieties, we show that the overall outcome of exposure to Poly(I:C) reflects the balance of opposing responses induced by its ligation to endosomal and cytoplasmic receptors. This PRR response biology is shared between mouse and human B-ALL and can increase leukemia-initiating cell burden in vivo during the preleukemia phase of B-ALL, primarily through tumor necrosis factor α signaling. The age of the responding immune system further influences the impact of dsRNA exposure on B-ALL cells in both mouse and human settings. Overall, our study demonstrates that potentially proleukemic and antileukemic effects can each be generated by the stimulation of pathogen recognition pathways and indicates a mechanistic explanation for the contrasting epidemiologic associations reported for infection exposure and B-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmaya Atre
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ali Farrokhi
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sumin Jo
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Samuel Salitra
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jesus Duque-Afonso
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Michael L. Cleary
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Nina Rolf
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Gregor S. D. Reid
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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2
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Dujon AM, Jeanjean J, Vincze O, Giraudeau M, Lemaître J, Pujol P, Ujvari B, Thomas F. Cancer hygiene hypothesis: A test from wild captive mammals. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10547. [PMID: 37745791 PMCID: PMC10515881 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The hygiene hypothesis, according to which the recent reduction of exposure to infectious agents in the human species would be the origin of various diseases, including autoimmune diseases and cancer, has often been proposed but not properly tested on animals. Here, we evaluated the relevance of this hypothesis to cancer risk in mammals in an original way, namely by using information on zoo mammals. We predicted that a higher richness of parasitic cohorts in the species' natural habitat would result in a greater occurrence of evolutionary mismatch due to the reduction of parasites in captive conditions. This, in turn, could contribute to an increased risk of developing lethal cancers. Using a comparative analysis of 112 mammalian species, we explored the potential relationship between cancer risk and parasite species richness using generalized phylogenetic least squares regressions to relate parasite species richness to cancer risk data. We found no strong evidence that parasite species richness increased cancer risk in zoo mammals for any of the parasite groups we tested. Without constituting definitive proof of the irrelevance of the hygienic hypothesis, our comparative study using zoo mammals does not support it, at least with respect to cancer risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine M. Dujon
- Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative EcologyDeakin UniversityWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Jérémy Jeanjean
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological ResearchDebrecenHungary
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabes‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS‐La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS‐La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
| | - Jean‐François Lemaître
- CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUniversité de LyonVilleurbanneFrance
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH)University Hospital of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Pascal Pujol
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Arnaud de VilleneuveMontpellierFrance
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative EcologyDeakin UniversityWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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3
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Sirirungreung A, Hansen J, Ritz B, Heck JE. Association between medically diagnosed postnatal infection and childhood cancers: A matched case-control study in Denmark, 1978 to 2016. Int J Cancer 2023; 153:994-1002. [PMID: 37243370 PMCID: PMC10524667 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Although the association between infection and childhood cancer has been long investigated, there is limited information on rarer cancers. This article aimed to explore the association between postnatal infection and childhood cancers in the Danish population. A matched case-control study was conducted using Danish nationwide registries from 1978 to 2016. Each childhood cancer case was matched 1:25 with controls by birth date within a week and sex. Postnatal infections were identified from the Danish National Patient Registry, which lists diagnoses seen in hospital, specialist or emergency care services. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (adj.OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Specific types of infections and the number of infection episodes were also considered. The study included 4125 childhood cancer cases and 103 526 matched controls with ages ranging from 0 to 19 years. Medically diagnosed postnatal infections were positively associated with many types of childhood cancer including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (adj.OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.23-1.63), acute myeloid leukemia (adj.OR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.28-2.52), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (adj.OR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.19-1.97) and central nervous system tumors (adj.OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.39-1.77). A higher number of infection episodes were also associated with an increased risk of these cancers. Specific infections such as viral, enteric and urinary tract infections were also strongly associated with specific types of cancer. In conclusion, children who later develop cancer appear to have adverse reactions to infections necessitating referral to specialized health care services, perhaps indicating dysregulated immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupong Sirirungreung
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Johnni Hansen
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Beate Ritz
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julia E Heck
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- College of Health and Public Service, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
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4
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Søegaard SH, Rostgaard K, Kamper-Jørgensen M, Schmiegelow K, Hjalgrim H. Childcare attendance and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: A register study based on the Danish childcare database. Int J Cancer 2023; 152:1817-1826. [PMID: 36545888 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is suggested to result from a dysregulated immune response to infections in children with a preleukaemic state. Childcare in early life supposedly may protect against childhood ALL by facilitating sufficient exposure to infections to stimulate and ensure normal maturation of the immune system. We assessed the association between childcare attendance before age 2 years and risk of childhood ALL in a register-based cohort study, including all children aged 2 to 14 years born in Denmark during 1991 to 2014 with available childcare information recorded in the Danish Childcare Database (n = 1 116 185). Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) comparing children enrolled in childcare and children not enrolled before age 2 years. Further, we assessed the association according to age at enrolment, type of childcare facility and specific ALL subtypes. During 10 460 811 person-years of follow-up, 460 children developed ALL at ages 2 to 14 years. Of these, 57 (12.4%) never attended childcare before age 2 years compared with 10.6% in the total cohort. Compared with homecare, childcare attendance before age 2 years was associated with a statistically non-significantly, marginally decreased risk of childhood ALL with adjusted HR = 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-1.16). Risk estimates did neither vary statistically significantly by age at enrolment nor by type of childcare facility and also not between childhood ALL subtypes, including frequently prenatally initiated ALL subtypes. Results from this large, nationwide register-based study provided no evidence that childcare attendance in the first years of life protects against childhood ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe Holst Søegaard
- Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Klaus Rostgaard
- Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Kjeld Schmiegelow
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Hjalgrim
- Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Haematology, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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5
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Cobaleda C, Vicente-Dueñas C, Sanchez-Garcia I. Infectious triggers and novel therapeutic opportunities in childhood B cell leukaemia. Nat Rev Immunol 2021; 21:570-581. [PMID: 33558682 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00505-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. Although treatment has advanced remarkably in the past 50 years, it still fails in ~20% of patients. Recent studies revealed that more than 5% of healthy newborns carry preleukaemic clones that originate in utero, but only a small percentage of these carriers will progress to overt B-ALL. The drivers of progression are unclear, but B-ALL incidence seems to be increasing in parallel with the adoption of modern lifestyles. Emerging evidence shows that a major driver for the conversion from the preleukaemic state to the B-ALL state is exposure to immune stressors, such as infection. Here, we discuss our current understanding of the environmental triggers and genetic predispositions that may lead to B-ALL, highlighting lessons from epidemiology, the clinic and animal models, and identifying priority areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Cobaleda
- Immune System Development and Function Unit, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Isidro Sanchez-Garcia
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain. .,Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC and Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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6
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Garn H, Potaczek DP, Pfefferle PI. The Hygiene Hypothesis and New Perspectives-Current Challenges Meeting an Old Postulate. Front Immunol 2021; 12:637087. [PMID: 33815389 PMCID: PMC8012489 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.637087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
During its 30 years history, the Hygiene Hypothesis has shown itself to be adaptable whenever it has been challenged by new scientific developments and this is a still a continuously ongoing process. In this regard, the mini review aims to discuss some selected new developments in relation to their impact on further fine-tuning and expansion of the Hygiene Hypothesis. This will include the role of recently discovered classes of innate and adaptive immune cells that challenges the old Th1/Th2 paradigm, the applicability of the Hygiene Hypothesis to newly identified allergy/asthma phenotypes with diverse underlying pathomechanistic endotypes, and the increasing knowledge derived from epigenetic studies that leads to better understanding of mechanisms involved in the translation of environmental impacts on biological systems. Further, we discuss in brief the expansion of the Hygiene Hypothesis to other disease areas like psychiatric disorders and cancer and conclude that the continuously developing Hygiene Hypothesis may provide a more generalized explanation for health burden in highly industrialized countries also relation to global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Garn
- Translational Inflammation Research Division & Core Facility for Single Cell Multiomics, Medical Faculty, Biochemical Pharmacological Center (BPC), Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Piotr Potaczek
- Translational Inflammation Research Division & Core Facility for Single Cell Multiomics, Medical Faculty, Biochemical Pharmacological Center (BPC), Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Ina Pfefferle
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Biobank Marburg (CBBMR), Medical Faculty, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,German Biobank Alliance (GBA), Marburg, Germany
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7
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Morimoto LM, Kwan ML, Deosaransingh K, Munneke JR, Kang AY, Quesenberry C, Kogan S, de Smith AJ, Metayer C, Wiemels JL. History of Early Childhood Infections and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Risk Among Children in a US Integrated Health-Care System. Am J Epidemiol 2020; 189:1076-1085. [PMID: 32322901 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Surrogate measures of infectious exposures have been consistently associated with lower childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk. However, recent reports have suggested that physician-diagnosed early-life infections increase ALL risk, thereby raising the possibility that stronger responses to infections might promote risk. We examined whether medically diagnosed infections were related to childhood ALL risk in an integrated health-care system in the United States. Cases of ALL (n = 435) diagnosed between 1994-2014 among children aged 0-14 years, along with matched controls (n = 2,170), were identified at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate risk of ALL associated with history of infections during first year of life and across the lifetime (up to diagnosis). History of infection during first year of life was not associated with ALL risk (odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60, 1.21). However, infections with at least 1 medication prescribed (i.e., more "severe" infections) were inversely associated with risk (OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.88). Similar associations were observed when the exposure window was expanded to include medication-prescribed infections throughout the subjects' lifetime (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.85).
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8
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Omidakhsh N, Hansen J, Ritz B, Olsen J, Heck JE. High parental occupational social contact and risk of childhood hematopoietic, brain and bone cancers. Cancer Epidemiol 2019; 62:101575. [PMID: 31369943 PMCID: PMC6771419 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2019.101575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The etiology of childhood cancer is largely unknown, though some research suggests an infectious origin of hematopoietic, central nervous system (CNS) and bone cancers. METHODS We examined parental occupational social contact as a proxy for exposure to infectious agents and risk of childhood cancer. This population-based case-control study utilized a linkage of four Danish data-registries, and included 3581 cases (<17 years, diagnosed 1973-2012) and 358,100 age-matched controls. We examined the risks of leukemia, lymphoma, CNS and bone cancer related to high occupational social contact from (1) conception to birth and (2) birth to diagnosis. RESULTS Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and bone cancer were inversely associated with high maternal social contact from conception to birth (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.67-1.10) and birth to diagnosis (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.86). Children of fathers with high social contact from birth to diagnosis had an increased risk of bone cancers, particularly in rural areas (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.03-2.63). Parental social contact was associated with increased risk of astrocytoma, with strongest associations found in first-born children (maternal: OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.02-2.32; paternal: OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.05-3.17). CONCLUSION Our results support the notion of a role of infections for some cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Omidakhsh
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Johnni Hansen
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Beate Ritz
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Jorn Olsen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Olof Palmes Alle 43-45, 8200 Aarhus N, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Julia E Heck
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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9
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Søgaard KK, Farkas DK, Sørensen HT. Pneumonia diagnosis in childhood and incidence of leukaemia, lymphoma and brain cancer: a Danish nationwide cohort study. BMJ Open 2017; 7:e019860. [PMID: 29289943 PMCID: PMC5778340 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is an ongoing debate on the possible association between infections in early childhood and subsequent cancer risk, but it remains unclear if a hospital admission for infection is associated with risk of childhood cancer diagnosis. We examined if a hospital-based diagnosis of pneumonia was a clinical marker of the three most common childhood cancers. DESIGN Population-based cohort study. SETTING Denmark, hospital diagnoses, 1994-2013. METHODS Using national health registries, we compared the observed incidence of leukaemia, lymphoma and brain cancer among 83 935 children with a hospital-based pneumonia diagnosis with that expected among children in the general population. We calculated absolute cancer risks and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) as a measure of relative risk. RESULTS The cancer SIRs were substantially increased during the first 6 months of follow-up; lymphoid leukaemia: 6.2 (95% CI 3.5 to 10.3); myeloid leukaemia: 14.8 (95% CI 6.0 to 30.6); Hodgkin's lymphoma: 60.8 (95% CI 26.2 to 120), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: 15.9 (95% CI 5.2 to 37.2) and brain cancer: 4.4 (95% CI 1.9 to 8.7). The 6-month absolute risks of leukaemia, lymphoma and brain cancer were all low, reaching 0.05% when combined. An increased risk persisted beyond 5 years for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and brain cancer. However, the 5-year absolute cancer risk was 0.14%. CONCLUSIONS The short-term incidence of leukaemia, lymphoma and brain cancer was higher than expected and persisted beyond 5 years for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and brain cancer. However, the absolute cancer risk was low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstine Kobberøe Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Henrik Toft Sørensen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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10
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Hwee J, Tait C, Sung L, Kwong JC, Sutradhar R, Pole JD. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between childhood infections and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Cancer 2017; 118:127-137. [PMID: 29065105 PMCID: PMC5765221 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: To determine whether childhood infections were associated with the development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Methods: We included studies that assessed any infection in childhood prior to the diagnosis of ALL in children aged 0–19 years compared to children without cancer. The primary analysis synthesised any infection against the odds of ALL, and secondary analyses assessed the frequency, severity, timing of infections, and specific infectious agents against the odds of ALL. Subgroup analyses by data source were investigated. Results: In our primary analysis of 12 496 children with ALL and 2 356 288 children without ALL from 38 studies, we found that any infection was not associated with ALL (odds ratio (OR)=1.10, 95% CI: 0.95–1.28). Among studies with laboratory-confirmed infections, the presence of infections increased the odds of ALL by 2.4-fold (OR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.54–3.82). Frequency, severity, and timing of infection were not associated with ALL. Conclusions: The hypothesis put forward by Greaves and others about an infectious aetiology are neither confirmed nor refuted and the overall evidence remains inadequate for good judgement. The qualitative difference in the subgroup effects require further study, and future research will need to address the challenges in measuring infectious exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Hwee
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher Tait
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lillian Sung
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jeffrey C Kwong
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada.,Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Toronto Western Family Health Team, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rinku Sutradhar
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jason D Pole
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, 480 University Avenue, Suite 1014, Toronto, ON, Canada
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11
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Pérez-Saldivar ML, Fajardo-Gutiérrez A, Sierra-Ramírez JA, Núñez-Villegas N, Pérez-Lorenzana H, Dorantes-Acosta EM, Román-Zepeda PF, Rodríguez-Zepeda MDC, González-Ulivarri JE, López-Santiago N, Martínez-Silva SI, Paredes-Aguilera R, Velázquez-Aviña MM, Flores-Lujano J, Jiménez-Hernández E, Núñez-Enríquez JC, Bekker-Méndez VC, Mejía-Aranguré JM. Parental Exposure to Workplace Carcinogens and the Risk of Development of Acute Leukemia in Infants. Case-Control Study. Arch Med Res 2017; 47:684-693. [PMID: 28476196 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Occupational exposure of parents to carcinogens is of great interest in the etiology of leukemias. Evidence of the impact of such exposure on infants or small children is scarce. Here we estimated whether occupational exposure of parents to carcinogens could be a risk factor for leukemias in their children. METHODS Cases of acute leukemia (AL) in infants ≤24 months old diagnosed in Mexico City (1998-2013) were included in a population-based, case-control study. Each of the 195 cases was matched with at least one healthy child (n = 369). For each of four exposure windows studied, the degree of exposure to carcinogens was determined for both parents by using a validated occupational exposure index. An unconditional logistic regression was carried out. RESULTS Odds ratios (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the overall occupational exposure for parents during the four exposure windows indicated no association with risk of AL in their children. Pre-conception, the OR by the father 0.77 (0.49-1.21), by the mother 1.03 (0.50-2.11); during pregnancy, father 0.66 (0.38-1.15), mother 1.79 (0.46-6.90); during breastfeeding, father 0.75 (0.43-1.30), mother 0.96 (0.21-4.30); and after birth, father 0.74 (0.45-1.22), mother 0.90 (0.24-3.32). The statistical power of the sample size to identify an OR ≥2 and an exposure of ≥10% among controls was 78%. CONCLUSIONS These data support the idea that parents' occupational exposure during any of the periods studied was not a risk factor contributing to the etiology of AL in infants ≤24 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Luisa Pérez-Saldivar
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) "Siglo XXI", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS); Sección de Estudios de Posgrado, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
| | - Arturo Fajardo-Gutiérrez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) "Siglo XXI", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)
| | | | - Nancy Núñez-Villegas
- Servicio de Hematología Pediátrica, Hospital General "Gaudencio González Garza", CMN "La Raza", IMSS
| | - Héctor Pérez-Lorenzana
- Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital General "Gaudencio González Garza", CMN "La Raza", IMSS
| | | | - Pedro Francisco Román-Zepeda
- Servicio de Hematología Pediátrica, Hospital General Regional (HGR) No. 1 "Dr. Carlos Mac Gregor Sánchez Navarro" IMSS
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Janet Flores-Lujano
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) "Siglo XXI", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)
| | - Elva Jiménez-Hernández
- Servicio de Hematología Pediátrica, Hospital General "Gaudencio González Garza", CMN "La Raza", IMSS
| | - Juan Carlos Núñez-Enríquez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) "Siglo XXI", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)
| | - Vilma Carolina Bekker-Méndez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología e Infectología, Hospital de Infectología "Dr. Daniel Méndez Hernández", CMN "La Raza", IMSS
| | - Juan Manuel Mejía-Aranguré
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) "Siglo XXI", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS); Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, UMAE, Hospital de Pediatría, CMN "Siglo XXI", IMSS; Coordinación de Investigación en Salud, CMN "Siglo XXI", IMSS.
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12
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Reported associations between asthma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia: insights from a hybrid simulation study. Eur J Epidemiol 2016; 31:593-602. [PMID: 26861154 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-016-0126-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have reported a protective association between asthma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but the causal structure of this association remains unclear. We present a hybrid simulation to examine the compatibility of this association with uncontrolled confounding by infection or another unmeasured factor. We generated a synthetic cohort using inputs on the interrelations of asthma, ALL, infections, and other suggested risk factors from the literature and the Danish National Birth Cohort. We computed odds ratios (ORs) between asthma and ALL in the synthetic cohort with and without adjustment for infections and other (including unmeasured) confounders. Only if infection was an extremely strong risk factor for asthma (OR of 10) and an extremely strong protective factor against ALL (OR of 0.1) was the asthma-ALL association compatible with the literature (OR of 0.78). Similarly, strong uncontrolled confounding by an unmeasured factor could downwardly bias the asthma-ALL association, but not enough to replicate findings in the literature. This investigation illustrates that the reported protective association between asthma and ALL is unlikely to be entirely due to uncontrolled confounding by infections or an unmeasured confounder alone. Simulation can be used to advance our understanding of risk factors for rare outcomes as demonstrated by this study.
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13
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Gradel KO, Kaerlev L. Antibiotic use from conception to diagnosis of child leukaemia as compared to the background population: A nested case-control study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015; 62:1155-61. [PMID: 25790083 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.25477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of infection in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia is unknown. We used prescriptions of antibiotics from Danish pharmacies as a proxy measure for the occurrence of infections. PROCEDURE We investigated the association between exposure to antibiotics, from conception to leukaemia diagnosis, and the risk of leukaemia. Incident cases of leukaemia among children in Denmark, 1995-2008, with mothers having their earliest conception date in 1995, were individually matched to population controls by age, sex and municipality. Conditional logistic regression analyses assessed antibiotic redemptions in different time periods from conception up to 6 months before the diagnoses of all leukaemia types, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia [ALL] and ALL in 2- to 5-year-old children, adjusting for several potential confounders. RESULTS A total of 120/360 (33.3%) leukaemia mothers and 1,081/3,509 (30.8%) control mothers redeemed antibiotics during pregnancy (P = 0.32). For children, the equivalent numbers were 276 (76.7%) and 2,665 (75.9%) (P = 0.76). Histograms of antibiotic redemptions showed no temporal differences between leukaemia mothers/children and controls, which was confirmed in adjusted regression analyses (OR [95% CI]: 1.02 [0.75-1.38]). Only antibiotics redeemed during the first year after birth differed from this (OR [95% CI] for ALL diagnosed in 2- to 5-year-old children: 0.46 [0.31-0.66]). CONCLUSIONS In this hypothesis generating study, the similar amount and pattern of antibiotic redemptions in children with and without leukaemia indicate that infections play a minor role in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia. However, less antibiotic redemptions during the first year of life conform to Greaves' 'delayed infection hypothesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Oren Gradel
- Research Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Linda Kaerlev
- Research Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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14
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Rudant J, Lightfoot T, Urayama KY, Petridou E, Dockerty JD, Magnani C, Milne E, Spector LG, Ashton LJ, Dessypris N, Kang AY, Miller M, Rondelli R, Simpson J, Stiakaki E, Orsi L, Roman E, Metayer C, Infante-Rivard C, Clavel J. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and indicators of early immune stimulation: a Childhood Leukemia International Consortium study. Am J Epidemiol 2015; 181:549-62. [PMID: 25731888 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwu298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The associations between childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and several proxies of early stimulation of the immune system, that is, day-care center attendance, birth order, maternally reported common infections in infancy, and breastfeeding, were investigated by using data from 11 case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (enrollment period: 1980-2010). The sample included 7,399 ALL cases and 11,181 controls aged 2-14 years. The data were collected by questionnaires administered to the parents. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, study, maternal education, and maternal age. Day-care center attendance in the first year of life was associated with a reduced risk of ALL (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.71, 0.84), with a marked inverse trend with earlier age at start (P < 0.0001). An inverse association was also observed with breastfeeding duration of 6 months or more (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.79, 0.94). No significant relationship with a history of common infections in infancy was observed even though the odds ratio was less than 1 for more than 3 infections. The findings of this large pooled analysis reinforce the hypothesis that day-care center attendance in infancy and prolonged breastfeeding are associated with a decreased risk of ALL.
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15
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Rudant J, Orsi L, Bonaventure A, Goujon-Bellec S, Baruchel A, Petit A, Bertrand Y, Nelken B, Pasquet M, Michel G, Saumet L, Chastagner P, Ducassou S, Réguerre Y, Hémon D, Clavel J. ARID5B, IKZF1 and non-genetic factors in the etiology of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the ESCALE study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121348. [PMID: 25806972 PMCID: PMC4373901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified that frequent polymorphisms in ARID5B and IKZF1, two genes involved in lymphoid differentiation, increase the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). These findings markedly modified the current field of research on the etiology of ALL. In this new context, the present exploratory study investigated the possible interactions between these at-risk alleles and the non-genetic suspected ALL risk factors that were of sufficient prevalence in the French ESCALE study: maternal use of home insecticides during pregnancy, preconception paternal smoking, and some proxies for early immune modulation, i.e. breastfeeding, history of common infections before age one year, and birth order. The analyses were based on 434 ALL cases and 442 controls of European origin, drawn from the nationwide population-based case-control study ESCALE. Information on non-genetic factors was obtained by standardized telephone interview. Interactions between rs10740055 in ARID5B or rs4132601 in IKZF1 and each of the suspected non-genetic factors were tested, with the SNPs coded as counts of minor alleles (trend variable). Statistical interactions were observed between rs4132601 and maternal insecticide use (p = 0.012), breastfeeding p = 0.017) and repeated early common infections (p = 0.0070), with allelic odds ratios (OR) which were only increased among the children not exposed to insecticides (OR = 1.8, 95%CI: 1.3, 2.4), those who had been breastfed (OR = 1.8, 95%CI: 1.3, 2.5) and those who had had repeated early common infections (OR = 2.4, 95%CI: 1.5, 3.8). The allelic ORs were close to one among children exposed to insecticides, who had not been breastfed and who had had no or few common infections. Repeated early common infections interacted with rs10740055 (p = 0.018) in the case-only design. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether these observations of a modification of the effect of the at-risk alleles by non-genetic factors are chance findings or reflect true underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Rudant
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) U1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers team (EPICEA), Villejuif, France
- Paris-Descartes University, UMRS-1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Paris, France
- French National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies (RNHE), Villejuif, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Laurent Orsi
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) U1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers team (EPICEA), Villejuif, France
- Paris-Descartes University, UMRS-1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Paris, France
| | - Audrey Bonaventure
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) U1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers team (EPICEA), Villejuif, France
- Paris-Descartes University, UMRS-1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Goujon-Bellec
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) U1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers team (EPICEA), Villejuif, France
- Paris-Descartes University, UMRS-1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Paris, France
- French National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies (RNHE), Villejuif, France
| | - André Baruchel
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Petit
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, HUEP, Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S_938, Paris, France
| | - Yves Bertrand
- Institut d’Hémato-Oncologie Pédiatrique, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Brigitte Nelken
- Pôle Enfant, CHRU, Lille, France
- Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
| | - Marlène Pasquet
- Hématologie pédiatrique, CHU Toulouse, INSERM U1037, Equipe 16, CRCT, Oncopôle, Toulouse, France
| | - Gérard Michel
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Timone Enfants Hospital, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Laure Saumet
- Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | - Denis Hémon
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) U1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers team (EPICEA), Villejuif, France
- Paris-Descartes University, UMRS-1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Paris, France
| | - Jacqueline Clavel
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) U1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers team (EPICEA), Villejuif, France
- Paris-Descartes University, UMRS-1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Paris, France
- French National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies (RNHE), Villejuif, France
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16
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Ajrouche R, Rudant J, Orsi L, Petit A, Baruchel A, Lambilliotte A, Gambart M, Michel G, Bertrand Y, Ducassou S, Gandemer V, Paillard C, Saumet L, Blin N, Hémon D, Clavel J. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and indicators of early immune stimulation: the Estelle study (SFCE). Br J Cancer 2015; 112:1017-26. [PMID: 25675150 PMCID: PMC4366894 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2015.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Factors related to early stimulation of the immune system (breastfeeding, proxies for exposure to infectious agents, normal delivery, and exposure to animals in early life) have been suggested to decrease the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Methods: The national registry-based case–control study, ESTELLE, was carried out in France in 2010–2011. Population controls were frequency matched with cases on age and gender. The participation rates were 93% for cases and 86% for controls. Data were obtained from structured telephone questionnaires administered to mothers. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using unconditional regression models adjusted for age, gender, and potential confounders. Results: In all, 617 ALL and 1225 controls aged ⩾1 year were included. Inverse associations between ALL and early common infections (OR=0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 1.0), non-first born (⩾3 vs 1; OR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0), attendance of a day-care centre before age 1 year (OR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0), breastfeeding (OR=0.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 1.0), and regular contact with pets (OR=0.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 1.0) in infancy were observed. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that conditions promoting the maturation of the immune system in infancy have a protective role with respect to ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ajrouche
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Sud University, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - J Rudant
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France [3] RNHE-National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies, Villejuif, France
| | - L Orsi
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - A Petit
- 1] AP-HP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Paris, France [2] Université Paris 6 Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - A Baruchel
- 1] AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France [2] Université Paris 7, Paris, France
| | | | - M Gambart
- Hôpital des Enfants, Toulouse, France
| | - G Michel
- AP-HM, Hôpital la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Y Bertrand
- Institut d'Hématologie et d'Oncologie Pédiatrique, Lyon, France
| | - S Ducassou
- Hôpital Pellegrin Tripode, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - C Paillard
- Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France
| | - L Saumet
- Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France
| | - N Blin
- Hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU-Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - D Hémon
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - J Clavel
- 1] Epidemiology of childhood and adolescent cancers, CRESS, INSERM U1153, Villejuif, France [2] Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France [3] RNHE-National Registry of Childhood Hematopoietic Malignancies, Villejuif, France
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17
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Mezei G, Sudan M, Izraeli S, Kheifets L. Epidemiology of childhood leukemia in the presence and absence of Down syndrome. Cancer Epidemiol 2014; 38:479-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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18
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Maia RDRP, Wünsch Filho V. Infection and childhood leukemia: review of evidence. Rev Saude Publica 2014; 47:1172-85. [PMID: 24626555 PMCID: PMC4206105 DOI: 10.1590/s0034-8910.2013047004753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze studies that evaluated the role of infections as well as indirect
measures of exposure to infection in the risk of childhood leukemia,
particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia. METHODS A search in Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO scientific publication databases
initially using the descriptors "childhood leukemia" and "infection" and
later searching for the words "childhood leukemia" and "maternal infection
or disease" or "breastfeeding" or "daycare attendance" or "vaccination"
resulted in 62 publications that met the following inclusion criteria:
subject aged ≤ 15 years; specific analysis of cases diagnosed with acute
lymphoblastic leukemia or total leukemia; exposure assessment of mothers' or
infants' to infections (or proxy of infection), and risk of leukemia. RESULTS Overall, 23 studies that assessed infections in children support the
hypothesis that occurrence of infection during early childhood reduces the
risk of leukemia, but there are disagreements within and between studies.
The evaluation of exposure to infection by indirect measures showed evidence
of reduced risk of leukemia associated mainly with daycare attendance. More
than 50.0% of the 16 studies that assessed maternal exposure to infection
observed increased risk of leukemia associated with episodes of influenza,
pneumonia, chickenpox, herpes zoster, lower genital tract infection, skin
disease, sexually transmitted diseases, Epstein-Barr virus, and
Helicobacter pylori. CONCLUSIONS Although no specific infectious agent has been identified, scientific
evidence suggests that exposure to infections has some effect on childhood
leukemia etiology.
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19
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Timing, frequency and type of physician-diagnosed infections in childhood and risk for Crohn's disease in children and young adults. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2014; 20:1346-52. [PMID: 25046007 DOI: 10.1097/mib.0000000000000098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent experimental data show that exposure to microbes during early childhood can confer immunological tolerance and protect against Crohn's disease (CD). Epidemiological evidence for this link, however, remains controversial. Using prospective data, we examined the link between this hypothesis and risk for CD in children and young adults. METHODS A case-control study design was used. CD cases (diagnosed before age 20 years) were recruited from a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in Montreal, and population-based controls matched for age, gender and, geographical location were selected. Infection data were ascertained from physician-billing records. These records, which use International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnostic codes, were consulted retrospectively but provide prospectively collected diagnostic information. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to study potential associations. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. RESULTS Four hundred nine cases and 1621 controls were included. Regression analysis adjusting for potential confounding variables suggested that any recorded infection before the diagnosis of CD was associated with reduced risk of CD (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48-0.93). The protective effect was restricted to infections occurring mainly before 5 years of age, with increasing number of infections resulting in greater protection (1-5 infections: OR, 0.74; ≥6 infections: OR, 0.61; P value for trend = 0.039). Infections affecting the oral and upper respiratory tracts, cellulitis, and, enteric infections seemed most protective. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides support for the hygiene hypothesis, whereby exposure to infections in early childhood could potentially reduce risks of CD.
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20
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Marcotte EL, Ritz B, Cockburn M, Yu F, Heck JE. Exposure to infections and risk of leukemia in young children. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014; 23:1195-203. [PMID: 24793957 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-13-1330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies indicate that infections in early childhood may protect against pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS We identified 3,402 ALL cases among children 0 to 5 years of age using the California Cancer Registry. From California birth records we randomly selected controls in a 20:1 ratio and frequency matched them to cases by birth year. We investigated markers of exposure to infections, including month of birth, timing of birth in relation to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) seasons, and birth order based on data from California birth certificates and national infection surveillance systems. RESULTS We observed an increased risk of ALL for spring and summer births, and for those first exposed to an influenza or RSV season at nine to twelve months of age compared with those exposed during the first three months of life, and this association was stronger among first born children [odds ratios (OR), 1.44 and 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.13-1.82, for influenza exposure at nine to twelve months of age]. Decreased risk was observed with increasing birth order among non-Hispanic whites but not Hispanics (OR, 0.76 and 95% CI, 0.59-096, for fourth or higher birth order among whites). CONCLUSION Our results support the hypothesis that infections in early childhood decrease risk of ALL. IMPACT Our findings implicate early life exposure to infections as protective factors for ALL in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Marcotte
- Authors' Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Departments of
| | | | - Myles Cockburn
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Fei Yu
- Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California; and
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Maletzki C, Linnebacher M, Savai R, Hobohm U. Mistletoe lectin has a shiga toxin-like structure and should be combined with other Toll-like receptor ligands in cancer therapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2013; 62:1283-92. [PMID: 23832140 PMCID: PMC11028761 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-013-1455-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Mistletoe extract (ME) is applied as an adjuvant treatment in cancer therapy in thousands of patients each year in Europe. The main immunostimulating component of mistletoe extract, mistletoe lectin, recently has been shown to be a pattern recognition receptor ligand and hence is binding to an important class of pathogen-sensing receptors. Pattern recognition receptor ligands are potent activators of dendritic cells. This activation is a prerequisite for a full-blown T-cell response against cancer cells. Pattern recognition receptor ligands are increasingly recognized as important players in cancer immunotherapy. We collect evidence from case studies on spontaneous regression, from epidemiology, from experiments in a mouse cancer model, and from protein structure comparisons to argue that a combination of mistletoe therapy with other pattern recognition receptor ligand substances leads to an increased immune stimulatory effect. We show that mistletoe lectin is a plant protein of bacterial origin with a 3D structure very similar to shiga toxin from Shigella dysenteriae, which explains the remarkable immunogenicity of mistletoe lectin. Secondly, we show that a combination of pattern recognition receptor ligands applied metronomically in a cancer mouse model leads to complete remission, while single pattern recognition receptor ligands slowed tumor growth. Taken together, we propose to combine mistletoe drugs with other pattern recognition receptor ligand drugs to increase its efficacy in adjuvant or even primary cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rajkumar Savai
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Uwe Hobohm
- University of Applied Sciences, Wiesenstrasse 14, 35390 Giessen, Germany
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22
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Lariou MS, Dikalioti SK, Dessypris N, Baka M, Polychronopoulou S, Athanasiadou-Piperopoulou F, Kalmanti M, Fragandrea I, Moschovi M, Germenis AE, Petridou ET. Allergy and risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia among children: A nationwide case control study in Greece. Cancer Epidemiol 2013. [PMID: 23182223 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2012.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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23
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Vestergaard TR, Rostgaard K, Grau K, Schmiegelow K, Hjalgrim H. Hospitalisation for infection prior to diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60:428-32. [PMID: 22915267 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.24286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been proposed that infections in infancy and early childhood are associated with a reduced risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We tested this hypothesis in a register-based study of hospitalisations for infectious diseases prior to diagnosis of childhood ALL. PROCEDURE A nation-wide cohort encompassing all Danish children aged 0-14 years and born between 1977 and 2008 (N = 1,778,129) was established and followed for hospitalisations for infectious diseases and risk of childhood ALL. The exposure was lagged 1 year to limit reverse causality. In the statistical analyses exposure was defined as (time dependent) number of early or late (before 2 or at/after 2 years of age) hospitalisations to further explore possible age-dependent associations. RESULTS A total of 815 children were diagnosed with ALL during follow-up. Risk of ALL was associated neither with hospitalisations for infectious diseases before (incidence rate ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.78-1.07) nor at/after 2 years of age (incidence rate ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.81-1.32). This also applied to subsets of ALL supposedly initiated prenatally. CONCLUSION The absence of association between hospitalisation for infections and risk of childhood ALL directs future investigations of the role of infections in development of childhood ALL towards exploration of less severe infections.
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Chang JS, Tsai YW, Tsai CR, Wiemels JL. Allergy and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a population-based and record-based study. Am J Epidemiol 2012; 176:970-8. [PMID: 23171876 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kws263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A deficit of normal immune stimulation in early childhood is a suspected risk factor for both childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and allergies. The present study utilized a population-based case-control design using medical claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to evaluate the association between allergy and childhood leukemia. Eight hundred forty-six childhood ALL patients who were newly diagnosed during 2000 to 2008 and were older than 1 but less than 10 years of age were individually matched with 3,374 controls based on sex, birth date, and time of diagnosis (reference date for the controls). Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess the association between childhood ALL and allergies. An increased risk of ALL was observed with having an allergy less than 1 year before the case's ALL diagnosis (odds ratio (OR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5, 2.0), more than 1 year before the case's diagnosis (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.5), and before the age of 1 year (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7). These results suggest that the pathogenesis of childhood ALL and allergy share a common biologic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Crouch S, Lightfoot T, Simpson J, Smith A, Ansell P, Roman E. Infectious illness in children subsequently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: modeling the trends from birth to diagnosis. Am J Epidemiol 2012; 176:402-8. [PMID: 22899827 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kws180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is increasing evidence that immune dysregulation in children who develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is detectable from birth, debate about the role of infectious exposures in infancy continues. With the aim of quantifying children's infectious exposures, investigators have used a number of infection exposure proxies, but there is a lack of consistency in findings, with some markers indicating increased ALL risks and others decreased risks, the disparity being evident both within and between studies. Accordingly, the authors conducted an in-depth analysis of key infection exposure proxies used in the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study, a national population-based case-control study conducted over the period 1991-1996, which combined data from medical records, parental interview, and population census. This longitudinal approach revealed the marked deterioration in immune response that emerged around 5 months prior to ALL diagnosis and confirmed that infectious diagnoses in the first year of life were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in children who developed leukemia between 2 and 14 years of age, as well as in those who had birth orders >1, were not breastfed, lived in deprived areas, or were diagnosed with eczema. By contrast, no association between infectious illness and preschool activity was detected, the lower infection levels among controls whose mothers reported attendance contributing to a significantly reduced ALL odds ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Crouch
- Epidemiology & Cancer Statistics Group, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom.
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Chang JS, Tsai CR, Tsai YW, Wiemels JL. Medically diagnosed infections and risk of childhood leukaemia: a population-based case-control study. Int J Epidemiol 2012; 41:1050-9. [PMID: 22836110 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dys113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies on the association between childhood infections and childhood leukaemia have produced inconsistent results, likely due to the recall error/bias of infection data reported by the parents. The current study used a population-based and record-based case-control design to evaluate the association between childhood leukaemia and infections using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. METHODS In all, 846 childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 193 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2008, aged >1 and <10 years, were included. Up to four controls (3374 for ALL and 766 for AML) individually matched to each case on sex, birth date and time of diagnosis (reference date for the controls) were identified. Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess the association between childhood leukaemia and infections. RESULTS Having any infection before 1 year of age was associated with an increased risk for both childhood ALL (odds ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval 2.2-4.7) and AML (odds ratio = 6.0, 95% confidence interval 2.0-17.8), with a stronger risk associated with more episodes of infections. Similar results were observed for infections occurring >1 year before the cases' diagnosis of childhood leukaemia. CONCLUSIONS Children with leukaemia may have a dysregulated immune function present at an early age, resulting in more episodes of symptomatic infections compared with healthy controls. However, confounding by other infectious measures such as birth order and day care attendance could not be ruled out. Finally, the results are only relevant to the medically diagnosed infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
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X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) genetic polymorphisms and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a meta-analysis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34897. [PMID: 22529951 PMCID: PMC3329555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2011] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, there have been a number of studies on the association between XRCC1 polymorphisms and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk. However, the results of previous reports are inconsistent. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to clarify the effects of XRCC1 variants on childhood ALL risk. METHODS A meta-analysis was performed to examine the association between XRCC1 polymorphisms (Arg399Gln, Arg194Trp, and Arg280His) and childhood ALL risk. We critically reviewed 7 studies with a total of 880 cases and 1311 controls for Arg399Gln polymorphism, 3 studies with a total of 345 cases and 554 controls for Arg280His polymorphism, and 6 studies with a total of 783 cases and 1180 controls for Arg194Trp polymorphism, respectively. Odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used. RESULTS Significant association between XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism and childhood ALL risk was observed in total population analyses (OR(additive model) = 1.501, 95% CI 1.112-2.026, P(OR) = 0.008; OR(dominant model) = 1.316, 95% CI = 1.104-1.569, P(OR) = 0.002) and Asian subgroup analyses (OR(additive model) = 2.338, 95%CI = 1.254-4.359, P(OR) = 0.008; OR(dominant model) = 2.108, 95%CI = 1.498-2.967, P(OR) = 0.000). No association was detected in Caucasians, Metizo and mixed populations. Ethnicity was considered as a significant source of heterogeneity in the meta-regression model. For the other two XRCC1 polymorphisms, no association with childhood ALL risk was found. CONCLUSIONS The meta-analysis results suggested that XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism might be associated with elevated childhood ALL risk among Asian population.
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Wiemels J. Perspectives on the causes of childhood leukemia. Chem Biol Interact 2012; 196:59-67. [PMID: 22326931 PMCID: PMC3839796 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Revised: 01/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Acute leukemia is the most common cancer in children but the causes of the disease in the majority of cases are not known. About 80% are precursor-B cell in origin (CD19+, CD10+), and this immunophenotype has increased in incidence over the past several decades in the Western world. Part of this increase may be due to the introduction of new chemical exposures into the child's environment including parental smoking, pesticides, traffic fumes, paint and household chemicals. However, much of the increase in leukemia rates is likely linked to altered patterns of infection during early childhood development, mirroring causal pathways responsible for a similarly increased incidence of other childhood-diagnosed immune-related illnesses including allergy, asthma, and type 1 diabetes. Factors linked to childhood leukemia that are likely surrogates for immune stimulation include exposure to childcare settings, parity status and birth order, vaccination history, and population mixing. In case-control studies, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is consistently inversely associated with greater exposure to infections, via daycare and later birth order. New evidence suggests also that children who contract leukemia may harbor a congenital defect in immune responder status, as indicated by lower levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 at birth in children who grow up to contract leukemia, as well as higher need for clinical care for infections within the first year of life despite having lower levels of exposure to infections. One manifestation of this phenomenon may be leukemia clusters which tend to appear as a leukemia "outbreak" among populations with low herd immunity to a new infection. Critical answers to the etiology of childhood leukemia will require incorporating new tools into traditional epidemiologic approaches - including the classification of leukemia at a molecular scale, better exposure assessments at all points in a child's life, a comprehensive understanding of genetic risk factors, and an appraisal of the interplay between infectious exposures and the status of immune response in individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Wiemels
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, Helen Diller Cancer Center Research Building, 1450 3rd Street, HD274, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States.
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Abstract
In the fall of 1890, an athletic, self-possessed, and thoughtful 17-year-old girl, who had just returned from an adventurous trip to Alaska where she had hurt her hand in a trivial accident, went to see a young, innovative surgeon in his new practice in New York City. Barely out of Harvard Medical School, he was a rising star in New York surgical circles, and the young woman asked him for help with her poorly healing, swollen, and naggingly painful injury. This visit had a far-reaching effect on cancer research, American philanthropy, and the career of the young man, William Coley, MD (1862-1936, Figure 1). The patient, Elisabeth Dashiell, confidant and close friend of John D. Rockefeller, Jr, was diagnosed by Coley with a highly aggressive round cell sarcoma, and despite radical surgery and in spite of Coley's undoubtedly fine surgical skills and intensive care, a rapid progression of the cancer, immense suffering, and Elisabeth's death a few months later could not be prevented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunver S Kienle
- Senior research scientist at the Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology at the University of Witten/Herdecke in Freiburg, Germany
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Stefan DC, Wessels G, Poole J, Wainwright L, Stones D, Johnston WT, Newton R. Infection with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) among children with cancer in South Africa. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011; 56:77-9. [PMID: 21110416 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.22672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND IN ADULTS,: HIV increases the risk of certain cancers known, or thought, to have an underlying infectious etiology; the impact on the risk of cancer in children is less clear. METHODS Here, we report results of an on-going study at four pediatric oncology centers in South Africa in which children diagnosed with cancer are tested routinely for HIV. Odds ratios (OR) for the prevalence of various malignancies were calculated (with adjustment for age, sex, and center) for the children infected with HIV using all children with cancer and non-malignant conditions, but not infected with HIV, as a comparison group. RESULTS Of 882 children with cancer, 38 were HIV infected (for 12 the HIV status was unknown). HIV was associated with Kaposi sarcoma (all 10 cases were HIV infected; P < 0.001) and with Burkitt lymphoma (OR = 46.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 16.4-130.3; 13/33). For non-Burkitt non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 2/39 were HIV infected (OR = 5.0, 95% CI 0.9-27.0). No other cancer type was significantly associated with HIV, including lymphoid leukemias (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.04-2.9; 1/172). CONCLUSIONS Only Kaposi sarcoma and Burkitt lymphoma were significantly associated with HIV infection although results for non-Burkitt NHL were suggestive. Notably, we did not identify an association between infection with HIV and lymphoid leukemias, for which an underlying infectious etiology has been suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Cristina Stefan
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Urayama KY, Ma X, Selvin S, Metayer C, Chokkalingam AP, Wiemels JL, Does M, Chang J, Wong A, Trachtenberg E, Buffler PA. Early life exposure to infections and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Int J Cancer 2010; 128:1632-43. [PMID: 21280034 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.25752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2010] [Accepted: 10/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from a growing number of studies indicates that exposure to common infections early in life may be protective against childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We examined the relationship between three measures of early life exposure to infections-daycare attendance, birth order and common childhood infections in infancy-with the risk of ALL in non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children, two ethnicities that show sociodemographic differences. The analysis included 669 ALL cases (284 non-Hispanic whites and 385 Hispanics) and 977 controls (458 non-Hispanic whites and 519 Hispanics) ages 1-14 years enrolled in the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study (NCCLS). When the three measures were evaluated separately, daycare attendance by the age of 6 months (odds ratio [OR] for each thousand child-hours of exposure = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82-1.00) and birth order (OR for having an older sibling = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50-0.92) were associated with a reduced risk of ALL among non-Hispanic white children but not Hispanic children, whereas ear infection before age 6 months was protective in both ethnic groups. When the three measures were assessed simultaneously, the influence of daycare attendance (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.73-0.94) and having an older sibling (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43-0.83) became stronger for non-Hispanic white children. In Hispanic children, a strong reduction in risk associated with ear infections persisted (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25-0.79). Evidence of a protective role for infection-related exposures early in life is supported by findings in both the non-Hispanic white and Hispanic populations within the NCCLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Y Urayama
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Rudant J, Orsi L, Menegaux F, Petit A, Baruchel A, Bertrand Y, Lambilliotte A, Robert A, Michel G, Margueritte G, Tandonnet J, Mechinaud F, Bordigoni P, Hémon D, Clavel J. Childhood acute leukemia, early common infections, and allergy: The ESCALE Study. Am J Epidemiol 2010; 172:1015-27. [PMID: 20807738 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Rudant
- CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, INSERM, Villejuif, France
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Bellón Saameño JÁ. [Large population data bases for primary care research: "We have the advantage"]. Aten Primaria 2010; 42:549-51. [PMID: 20828879 DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2010.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ángel Bellón Saameño
- Centro de Salud El Palo, Unidad de Investigación del Distrito Málaga, Grupo SAMSERAP, redIAPP, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública de la Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
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Crouch S, Simpson J, Ansell P, Kane E, Howell D, Smith A, Newton R, Jack A, Roman E. Illness patterns prior to diagnosis of lymphoma: analysis of UK medical records. Cancer Epidemiol 2010; 35:145-50. [PMID: 20832384 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2010.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2010] [Revised: 07/20/2010] [Accepted: 08/06/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased understanding of the relationship between lymphomas and co-morbidities is likely to provide valuable insights into the natural history of these disorders. METHODS 761 cases with lymphoma (310 diffuse large B-cell [DLBCL]; 226 follicular [FL]; and 225 Hodgkin [HL]) and 761 unaffected age and sex matched controls were recruited and their histories of infection and non-infection diagnoses in primary care records were compared using negative binomial regression. RESULTS No differences were observed between the infectious illness patterns of DLBCL and FL cases and their matched controls over the 15 years preceding lymphoma diagnosis. A marked excess of infectious illness episodes was recorded for HL cases compared to their controls; evident at least a decade prior to HL diagnosis. For non-infectious consultations an excess of case over control visits emerged 4-6 years before DLBCL and FL diagnosis; no specific co-morbidity associations were found. No case-control differences for non-infectious conditions were apparent for HL. CONCLUSION There are substantial variations in patterns of illness prior to diagnosis of the three lymphoma subtypes examined. The excess of infectious diagnoses prior to HL may point to underlying immune abnormality, but there was no suggestion of this for DLBCL and FL where a generalized excess of non-infectious conditions was evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Crouch
- Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, UK.
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Chang JS, Wiemels JL, Chokkalingam AP, Metayer C, Barcellos LF, Hansen HM, Aldrich MC, Guha N, Urayama KY, Scélo G, Green J, May SL, Kiley VA, Wiencke JK, Buffler PA. Genetic polymorphisms in adaptive immunity genes and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010; 19:2152-63. [PMID: 20716621 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-10-0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been hypothesized to have an infection- and immune-related etiology. The lack of immune priming in early childhood may result in abnormal immune responses to infections later in life and increase ALL risk. METHODS The current analyses examined the association between childhood ALL and 208 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of 29 adaptive immune function genes among 377 ALL cases and 448 healthy controls. Single SNPs were analyzed with a log-additive approach using logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, Hispanic ethnicity, and race. Sliding window haplotype analyses were done with haplotypes consisting of 2 to 6 SNPs. RESULTS Of the 208 SNPs, only rs583911 of IL12A, which encodes a critical modulator of T-cell development, remained significant after accounting for multiple testing (odds ratio for each copy of the variant G allele, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.85; P = 2.9 x 10(-5)). This increased risk was stronger among firstborn children of all ethnicities and among non-Hispanic children with less day care attendance, consistent with the hypothesis about the role of early immune modulation in the development of childhood ALL. Haplotype analyses identified additional regions of CD28, FCGR2, GATA3, IL2RA, STAT4, and STAT6 associated with childhood ALL. CONCLUSION Polymorphisms of genes on the adaptive immunity pathway are associated with childhood ALL risk. IMPACT Results of this study support an immune-related etiology of childhood ALL. Further confirmation is required to detect functional variants in the significant genomic regions identified in this study, in particular for IL12A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Chang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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The ‘delayed infection’ (aka ‘hygiene’) hypothesis for childhood leukaemia. THE HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS AND DARWINIAN MEDICINE 2009. [PMCID: PMC7123988 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7643-8903-1_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The common variant of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (cALL) is the most frequent paediatric cancer subtype. Its incidence rate appears to have increased substantially in Western societies during the mid-20th century and continues to increase at ∼1%/year. Worldwide cALL appears to track with affluence of societies. The ‘delayed infection’ hypothesis, first formulated in 1988, parallels the hygiene hypothesis and has an evolutionary foundation in the concept of a mismatch between prior genetic selection and programming (of the immune system) and contemporary social circumstances. In essence, the hypothesis predicts that ALL is triggered by an abnormal immune response to one or more common microbial infections and that the abnormality arises for two reasons: (i) infectious exposures being delayed beyond the immunologically anticipated period of infancy; (ii) some degree of inherited genetic susceptibility via, for example, allelic variation in genes involved in the MHC and/or immune response network. The hypothesis also has a framework in the underlying cell and molecular biology of ALL and its natural history. Epidemiological studies of social contacts in infancy (as a proxy for common infections) and risk of ALL provide indirect but strong support for the hypothesis. The idea still requires mechanistic and genetic endorsement and the appropriate studies are in progress.
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Geographical variation in the incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in childhood-Is it real? Cancer Epidemiol 2009; 33:401-2. [PMID: 19932647 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2009.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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zur Hausen H. Childhood leukemias and other hematopoietic malignancies: Interdependence between an infectious event and chromosomal modifications. Int J Cancer 2009; 125:1764-70. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.24365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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