Height as a risk factor in meningioma: a study of 2 million Israeli adolescents

Matan Ben-Zion Berliner,Andrew A Kanner,Tali Siegal,Gilad Twig,Shlomit Yust-Katz,Alexandra Benouaich-Amiel,Hagai Levine,Lital Keinan-Boker,Omer Gal,Asaf Honig,Jacob Mandel,Estela Derazne,Lior Haim Katz,Yosef Laviv

doi:10.1186/s12885-020-07292-4

Abstract

BackgroundMeningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumors. Potential risk factors include obesity, height, history of allergy/atopy, and autoimmune diseases, but findings are conflicting. This study sought to assess the role of the different risk factors in the development of meningioma in adolescents/young adults.MethodsThe cohort included 2,035,915 Jewish men and women who had undergone compulsory physical examination between 1967 and 2011, at age 16 to 19 years, prior to and independent of actual military enlistment. To determine the incidence of meningioma, the military database was matched with the Israel National Cancer Registry. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios for meningioma according to sex, body mass index (BMI), height, and history of allergic or autoimmune disease.ResultsA total of 480 subjects (328 females) were diagnosed with meningioma during a follow-up of 40,304,078 person-years. Median age at diagnosis was 42.1 ± 9.4 years (range 17.4–62.6). On univariate analysis, female sex (p < 0.01) and height (p < 0.01) were associated with risk of meningioma. When the data were stratified by sex, height remained a significant factor only in men. Spline analysis of the male subjects showed that a height of 1.62 m was associated with a minimum disease risk and a height of 1.85+ meters, with a significant risk.ConclusionsThis large population study showed that sex and adolescent height in males (> 1.85 m) were associated with an increased risk of meningioma in adulthood.

Highlights

Meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumors
The mean duration of follow-up was 19.8 ± 10.5 years which represent in this study population a follow up of 40,304,078 person-years
Linkage of the military database with the Israel National Cancer Registry (INCR) yielded a diagnosis of meningioma in 480 of the 2,035,915 subjects who underwent medical examination in 1967 to 2011, at age 16–19 years: 228 grade I, 27 atypical, 5 anaplastic, 219 not specified and one patient with meningiomatosis (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Potential risk factors include obesity, height, history of allergy/atopy, and autoimmune diseases, but findings are conflicting. This study sought to assess the role of the different risk factors in the development of meningioma in adolescents/young adults. Meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumors. They originate from the meninges which are the membranous layers surrounding the brain. The only established external (non-genetic) risk factor for brain tumors is exposure to ionizing radiation [3]. An Israeli study revealed abnormally high rates of meningioma in patients treated with low-dose radiation to the scalp for tinea capitis during the 1950s [4]. Other potential risk factors include obesity, height, history of allergy/atopy, and history of autoimmune diseases, but

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