Common infection-related conditions and risk of lymphoid malignancies in older individuals

Abstract

Background:Chronic antigenic stimulation may initiate non-Hodgkin (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) development. Antecedent, infection-related conditions have been associated, but evidence by lymphoproliferative subtype is limited.Methods:From the US SEER-Medicare database, 44 191 NHL, 1832 HL and 200 000 population-based controls, frequency-matched to all SEER cancer cases, were selected. Logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, compared infection-related conditions in controls with HL and NHL patients and by the NHL subtypes diffuse large B-cell, T-cell, follicular and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Stratification by race was undertaken.Results:Respiratory tract infections were broadly associated with NHL, particularly MZL. Skin infections were associated with a 15–28% increased risk of NHL and with most NHL subtypes, particularly cellulitis with T-cell lymphoma (OR 1.36, 95%CI 1.24–1.49). Only herpes zoster remained associated with HL following Bonferroni correction (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.28–1.87). Gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections were not strongly associated with NHL or HL. In stratified analyses by race, sinusitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis and cellulitis showed stronger associations with total NHL in blacks than whites (P<0.001).Conclusions:Infections may contribute to the aetiologic pathway and/or be markers of underlying immune modulation. Precise elucidation of these mechanisms may provide important clues for understanding how immune disturbance contributes to lymphoma.

Herpes Zoster and Risk of Cancer in the Elderly U.S. Population

“…The associations between HZ and hematological malignancies have been noted previously, including with CLL/SLL (30, 31), multiple myeloma (32, 33), lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (14), and DLBCL (34). We observed that the associations for most of these malignancies were significant when zoster was assessed more than 3-5 years before cancer diagnosis/control selection.…”

Associations of environment, health history, T‐zone lymphoma, and T‐zone‐like cells of undetermined significance: A case‐control study of aged Golden Retrievers

“…However, concurrent diagnosis of TZL and gastrointestinal disease is not a common finding in our laboratory submissions nor based on prior literature. Prior studies have found no association of ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or gastroenteritis with NHL in humans, but the association may have been masked by using overall NHL instead of specific T‐cell subtypes. Certain long‐term gastrointestinal infections, including Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni , have been associated with mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas in humans, highlighting the possibility that these may be subtype‐specific risk factors.…”

“…Studies have shown asymptomatic bacteriuria may be present in 2%‐14% of dogs, which may suggest that diagnosed UTIs represent underlying chronic inflammation. One study evaluated UTIs (categorized as cystitis, prostatitis, and pyelonephritis) as a risk factor for non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in humans and found that prostatitis increased risk of overall NHL but not T‐cell NHL. This may be a novel association for TZL or may reflect differences in UTI etiology between people and dogs.…”

Geographical differences in survival of dogs with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma treated with aCHOPbased chemotherapy protocol

“…Chronic antigenic stimulation has been associated with increased risk of NHL development in humans, especially in older individuals . One study found that respiratory and skin infections in humans were linked with an increased risk of NHL, whereas gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections were not . Another study of 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated a shortened survival with lymphoma suggesting a more aggressive behaviour in cases with chronic inflammation .…”