Atopic dysfunction and risk of central nervous system tumours in children

Abstract

Risk factors for central nervous system (CNS) tumours in children remain largely unknown. Evidence of an inverse relationship between atopy and tumour development exists in adults but little is known about childhood tumours. This study aims to examine the risk of childhood CNS tumours given a history of eczema and asthma. Cases of children diagnosed with CNS tumours ( n = 575) and controls ( n = 6292) from the UK Childhood Cancer Study (UKCCS) were analysed using conditional logistic regression comparing reported histories of allergic disease. Asthma was statistically significantly and negatively associated with all CNS tumours (odds ratios, OR 0.75, confidence of interval, CI 95%: 0.58–0.97), though this was not observed for eczema (OR 0.94, CI 95%: 0.74–1.18). Individuals who had suffered both asthma and eczema showed the most significant reduction in risk (OR 0.48, CI 95%: 0.28–0.81). Analysis by tumour subtype showed the strongest effect for the medulloblastoma/PNET group. These results may have a biological explanation with raised immunosurveillance in atopic individuals protecting against the development of brain tumours. Alternative explanations might include bias, reverse causality or confounding.