Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines Article Date: 28 Nov 2012 - 21:00 PST
A new study of the safety of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine supports the recommendation that those 65 and older get the vaccine to protect themselves and others, particularly young babies, from pertussis. Published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the findings come as reported U.S. cases of the bacterial infection, also known as whooping cough, are at the highest level since the 1950s.
An extremely contagious respiratory illness, pertussis puts infants at greatest risk for severe complications, including death. More than half of infants younger than 1 year old who get pertussis are hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and 1 or 2 in 100 hospitalized infants die. Immunity is difficult to maintain in the community because infants cannot be vaccinated until they are 2 months old. As a result, they may be at risk, especially from family members and care givers who have the disease.
In their study, Hung Fu Tseng, PhD, MPH, and his team at Kaiser Permanente Southern California found that adverse events following Tdap vaccination in seniors were mostly minor. "Although there is a small increased risk of injection site reaction following Tdap vaccination in the elderly, it is no more common than that following the traditional tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine," Dr. Tseng said.
The researchers' study included 119,573 seniors who received the Tdap vaccine and the same number of people who received the traditional Td vaccine. Safety data were collected from seven health maintenance organizations across the U.S. The risk for adverse events following vaccination was comparable among both groups.
The authors hope the findings will allay any fears among older adults about the safety of the Tdap vaccine and prompt more doctors to urge across-the-board immunization, which is crucial in the wake of recent pertussis outbreaks, such as those in Minnesota, Washington state, Wisconsin, and elsewhere. Current recommendations call for infants older than 2 months, children, teens, adults (including pregnant women, parents, and health care workers), and those over 65 to be vaccinated.
"Pertussis immunization is important, particularly since one of the most common sources of pertussis in infants is their relatives, including their grandparents," Dr. Tseng said. "We suggest that clinicians follow CDC's recommendation and talk to older adult patients about vaccination against pertussis to protect themselves and their family members."
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'Findings Support Safety Of Whooping Cough Vaccine For Older Adults'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health Article Date: 26 Nov 2012 - 3:00 PST
Teenage girls should be prescribed emergency contraception in advance, because it has been shown that they are more likely to use it promptly when needed, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced in Pediatrics online on November, 26th, 2012.
Even though the number of teenage pregnancies has dropped in the USA over the last few decades, the country still has significantly higher teen birth rates than other industrialized nations, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) informed.
Federal policy bans the OTC (over the counter) sales of emergency contraception to females aged under 17 years of age. The AAP believes that if young teenagers had emergency contraception on hand - with advance prescriptions - their chances of becoming pregnant unintentionally would be reduced.
In February 2012, the Guttmacher Institute published a report informing that in 2008, teenage pregnancies in the USA reached their lowest levels in nearly four decades. Pregnancy rates among adolescents peaked in the early 1990s, and then fell dramatically, as did birth and abortion rates in this age group.
In this latest report, the AAP discusses how emergency contraception can lower the risk of pregnancy in teenage girls.
Many adolescents in the United States still continue to have unprotected sex. According to the AAP, up to 10% of girls are victims of sexual assault.
Barrier and other forms of contraceptives do not always work:
Condoms may be faulty
Condoms may slip
Contraceptive doses may be missed
Contraceptive doses may be taken late
Such emergency contraception regimens as Next, Choice, Plan B and some others are the only methods of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies if used within 120 hours of having either unprotected or under-protected sex.
The AAP says pediatricians may play a crucial role in counseling teenage girls, and providing them with emergency contraception when in need.
The AAP emphasizes that emergency contraception plays no role in protecting against STIs (sexually transmitted diseases). Doctors should discuss the importance of STI testing with their patients, and when needed, what treatments are recommended.
Pediatricians should also advocate for better insurance coverage, as well as better access to emergency contraception for adolescents, regardless of how young they are.
In August 2010, the AAP wrote that America had the highest pregnancy rate among teenagers in the Western Hemisphere. 25% of US teens had an STI. The authors of a report "Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media", which was published in Pediatrics, said that we should be paying careful attention to media messages regarding contraception and sexuality. Teenagers like certain websites and TV shows - the way they portray sex might have a major impact on how young people initiate sexual intercourse, the authors added.
Unlike most other industrialized nations, emergency contraception has been a controversial subject in the USA for many years.
Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)
EC works BEFORE conception
posted by Peavy on 26 Nov 2012 at 8:08 am
Please use FACTS.
There are two kinds of EC pills: levonorgestrel (Plan B One Step, Next Choice) and ulipristal (ella). Both kinds work by blocking OVULATION. The release of the ovum (egg) from the ovary is either delayed or prevented: NO egg, NO fertilization, NO conception, NO zygote, and certainly NO abortion.
Hormonal implants call for long-term disruption of usual hormonal cycles. Personally, I find the idea of point-use of EC (which is also hormonal) more acceptable, but this should be an individual decision.
| post followup | alert a moderator |
Contraception goes against God
posted by Rev. William Fletcher on 26 Nov 2012 at 5:56 am
The Lord said "Go forth and multiply". Contraception of any kind is sinful. Shame on you!!
| post followup | alert a moderator |
A better Option. Contraceptive implants under the skin
posted by Curly on 26 Nov 2012 at 5:48 am
The proposal to give young girls the morning after pill before hand has some merit but it still leaves gaps. So a better way in the long run would be to implant an under the skin birth control implant at the same time the young girls are given their HPV vaccinations. These implants are good for about 5 years. When the girls are ready to start their families then the implant could be removed. Both boys and girls should get the HPV shots when a birth control implant is developed for men then the boys should also get it. Until this method is fully accepted the passing out of the morning after pill should be continued. In addition the cost should be picked up by the federal government should pick up the cost (including of the morning after pill) so both rich and poor can have access to this preventive.
| post followup | alert a moderator |
A tiny new life begins before "pregnancy"
posted by Russ on 26 Nov 2012 at 5:27 am
Pregnancy is often defined as implantation of the embryo in the womb. However, a new human life begins at conception, not at implantation. These "emergy contraceptives" function in part by preventing implantation and run the risk of terminating the tiny human life.
| post followup | alert a moderator |
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'Prescribing Emergency Contraception In Advance For Teenagers'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice Article Date: 07 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Survey results reveal that an overwhelming majority of clinicians believe that the electronic exchange of health information will have a positive impact on improving the quality of patient care, coordinating care, meeting the demands of new care models, and participating in third-party reporting and incentive programs.
The American College of Physicians (ACP), the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Doctors Helping Doctors Transform Health Care developed the survey and analyzed 527 responses in the report Clinician Perspectives on Electronic Health Information Sharing for Transitions of Care.
"The exchange of patient health information across care settings is a critical component to the success of the new models to improve care, such as the patient-centered medical home," said Michael S. Barr, MD, FACP, MBA, who leads ACP's Medical Practice, Professionalism & Quality division. "ACP agrees with the 78 percent of survey respondents who believe that exchanging health information will have a positive effect on clinicians' ability to meet the demands of these new care models."
Yet challenges remain for the widespread electronic exchange of health information. More than 70 percent of clinicians surveyed identified lack of interoperability, lack of an information exchange infrastructure, and the cost of setting up and maintaining interfaces and exchanges as major barriers, preventing clinicians from exchanging information with others.
"The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has done a lot to encourage the development of the technology needed to support the exchange of information across care settings, but we still have a long way to go," said Dr. Barr. "These gaps are most apparent when we look at the infrastructure, or lack thereof, needed to support the exchange of information and the governance surrounding such exchange."
Additional key findings from the survey include:
Access to medication lists and relevant laboratory and imaging test results are commonly recognized as high priorities for transitions of care.
More than half of respondents prefer that information they view as "essential" get "pushed" to them, with the ability to access the rest of the information through a query.
Timeliness of information is important. A clear majority of clinicians consider "within 24 hours" a reasonable timeframe for the exchange of information when a patient requires follow-up care or is being treated for an urgent problem.
When updating the electronic health record with information received from an external source, clinicians prefer to be able to selectively pick and choose the information they want integrated.
"By categorizing clinicians' views on the types of information they want to receive, how they want to receive it, how quickly they want to receive it, and what they want to do with it, we can support efforts to facilitate the exchange of health information," Dr. Barr said.
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'EHRs Will Likely Have Positive Impact On Health Care According To Clinicians'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Editor's Choice Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Article Date: 24 Sep 2012 - 12:00 PDT
Doping - using drug or blood products to improve athletic performance - has now become a public health problem, and not just a sporting one, experts explained at an anti-doping conference organized by the Arne Ljungqvist Foundation.
Dr. Timothy Armstrong, who works at WHO (World Health Organization) explained that about 3% of high school boys in America regularly take growth hormones or steroids. This amounts to a very large number of people and is definitely a public health problem, he added.
Dr. Armstrong said:
"Substance abuse in any shape or form has a physical and mental health aspect to it. The WHO, being the lead UN (United Nations) agency on health matters, takes this issue quite seriously."
Dr. Arne Ljungqvist, the Foundation's creator, agreed that doping has reached a scale that threatens public health. He hopes this conference may convince everybody that doping is no longer just a problem that exists in the Olympics or other major international events.
Ljungqvist said "This is a first attempt to highlight this matter as a public health issue, which in my view it is. "Elite sport plays an obvious role. They are the role models of youngsters and if they are drug takers, that is not the right role model for the coming society. "I am so happy today to see these international authorities coming together and sharing these concerns that are being expressed and I hope that we can find common ways to deal with them."
David Howman, Director General of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), said that events which occur among top athletes often have a knock-on effect that spreads into wider society. He emphasized the need for agencies, organizations and health care professionals to share information if we really want to reign in the doping problem.
Howman said:
"What we have learned in the last 10 years is that there is a trickle-down effect into recreational sports and into the high schools. In Australia now, the customs people share their information with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA), and already 40 percent of their anti-doping rule violations come from that sort of information. That's a very good example of how it can work when people work together."
An anti-doping drive, which occurred before the 2012 London Olympics, revealed several cases of doping, Howman said. The Anti-Doping Agency of the UK shared data with the police and customs authorities - these data were then forwarded to the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic Games' anti-doping program was based mainly on that data.
The sharing of information between the various UK authorities led to several discoveries of doping in the out-of-competition phase.
Each organization, Howman explained, has only a small slice of the data cake and can only work on their own up to a limited point. However, if all the agencies, such as UNESCO, WADA, WHO, customs, police and the IOC joined forces, the chances of beating the growing doping problem is much more feasible. Howman said "We all require better data to inform prevalence - how many people are taking what substances and the adverse social and health effects as a consequence of that."
Homan mentioned the UNESCO Anti-Doping Convention, which 172 nations subscribed to, and how national governments could align their domestic policies with the Code. It is important that rules around the world regarding anti-doping in sport become harmonized.
Pilar Alvarez-Laso, the assistant Director General of UNESCO, said that as UNESCO and WADA join together at the international levels, this plague which harms athletes and undermines the fair-play of sports may be eliminated. Doping practices can cause serious harm to the credibility of sport.
Alvarez-Laso says it is crucial that young people be educated on the moral, legal and health consequences of doping.
What is doping, who decides, how do they decide?
Ex-chairman of the WADA List Committee, Dr. Gary Wadler, explained in the conference who decides what doping is, and how. He said that there is a Prohibited List.
For a method or substance to be considered for the Prohibited list, it must match two or more of the criteria below:
It may enhance performance, or sports performance
It may be hazardous to health
Using it violates the spirit of sport
Prohibited substances or methods banned from the Olympics include:
Banned androgenic agents
Beta blockers
Beta-2 agonists
Blood doping
Diuretics and masking agents
Endogenous anabolic androgenic steroids
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents
Exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids
Glucocorticoids
Hormone antagonists and modulators
Hormones and related substances
Metabolites and isomers
Narcotics and cannabinoids
Other anabolic agents
Stimulants
Professor Arne Ljungqvist (born 1931), from Stockholm, Sweden, is a medical researcher as well as an ex-member of Sweden's Olympic team in 1952. He was Sweden's high jump champion. Prof. Ljungqvist left competitive sports to complete his medical training.
Prof. Ljungqvist is an internationally respected and famous doping hunter, and has been working actively worldwide in the fight against doping in sports for the last four decades. He is a member of the IOC and is vice-chairman of the WADA.
Some doping substances give an unfair advantage for several years
Researchers from Umea University, Sweden, found that power lifters who used to take anabolic steroids years ago, but no longer do, experienced changes in their shoulders and quadriceps which gave them advantages that still persisted. In other words, the unfair advantage offered by anabolic steroids continues for many years after the athlete has stopped using them.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones derived from the human male hormone testosterone.
Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)
Oh, the irony!
posted by ian on 24 Sep 2012 at 1:46 pm
How ironic that you'd lead off this discussion with a comment by Dr. Armstrong!
| post followup | alert a moderator |
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'Doping Is Now A Public Health Issue, Not Just A Sporting One'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Editor's Choice Main Category: Anxiety / Stress Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Article Date: 20 Sep 2012 - 10:00 PDT
There is a stronger connection between stress and weight gain in American black girls than American white girls.
Although dealing with large amounts of stress for a period of 10 years predicts greater increases in body weight for both white and black girls, the experience of chronic stress appears to have a larger negative impact on the weight of black girls.
This finding, published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine may explain racial disparities in obesity levels.
The prevalence of obesity in black populations in the United States is 50% higher than in those of whites. This contrast is seen as early as childhood, and especially in the teenage years of females.
Ethnic minorities suffer from a great deal of psychological stress, more than whites, partly due to perceived racial discrimination.
Scientists have known that stress is associated with a higher change of depression, heart disease and infectious diseases. One particular study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that chronic psychological stress is associated with the body losing its ability to regulate the inflammatory response, which can promote the development and progression of disease.
In this current study, over a period of ten years, the experience of chronic stress in young girls was examined to determine whether it had an influence on their BMI (body mass index), and whether the same effect was seen in both white and black adolescents.
Data from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study was gathered and analyzed, in order to assess the prevalence of obesity in 2,379 black and white girls. The girls were observed at age 10 and then followed up for 10 years. Experiences of psychological stress were closely observed.
By the end of the study, the team, led by Dr. Tomiyama of the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered that white girls reported more stress, but more black girls were overweight or obese.
Both groups saw an increase in their weight if their level of chronic stress was increasing. However, the effect of chronic stress was stronger for black girls, even though they reported less stress overall.
For example, black females with one unit increase in stress, led to 0.8 BMI unit increase every two years, while their counterparts with one unit of stress led to 0.55 BMI unit increase.
The authors wrote:
"Our study documents a relationship between chronic perceived stress and BMI over a decade of growth in black and white girls. However, the relationship between perceived stress and BMI is stronger in black girls. Psychological stress may lead to weight gain through behavioral pathways, such as increased food consumption and sedentary lifestyles, but also directly through prolonged exposure to biological stress mediators such as cortisol."
The research pointed out that stress may be playing a significant role in the obesity epidemic, while also contributing to racial disparities at the same time.
Written by Sarah Glynn Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'Stressed Black Girls Gain More Weight Than White Females'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Seniors / Aging Also Included In: Men's Health; Biology / Biochemistry; Genetics Article Date: 04 Aug 2012 - 1:00 PDT
A new study of mitochondrial DNA in fruit flies offers a number of clues that might explain why females tend to outlive males across much of the animal kingdom, including humans.
Researchers from Monash University in Australia and Lancaster University in the UK, write about their work in the 2 August online issue of Current Biology.
They found male fruit flies appear to have mutations in their mitochondrial DNA that affect how fast they age and how long they live.
Scientists use fruit flies as models for studies in genes and aging because their biological processes are remarkably similar to that of other animals, such as humans, and with a lifespan of about a month, it doesn't take too long to investigate generational effects.
Senior author Damian Dowling, a research fellow in the Monash School of Biological Sciences, told the press:
"All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species. Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male aging across the animal kingdom."
"Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of aging in females. They only affect males," he added.
Mitochondria are special subunits of cells, about the same size as bacteria, that provide the energy for life. They combine sugar and oxygen into adenosine triphosphate or ATP, molecular packets of energy that are usable by cells.
Mitochondria have their own DNA that is quite separate from the cellular DNA in the nucleus of the cell.
And, unlike cellular DNA, which is inherited from the sperm and egg that fuse to make the new individual, mitochondrial DNA comes only from the egg.
Thus, as mitochondrial DNA is passed down from generation to generation, the process of natural selection has no opportunity to "screen out" mutations in mitochondrial DNA that might be harmful to males. The researchers refer to this as a "sex-specific selective sieve".
For their study, Dowling and colleagues looked at differences in longevity and biological aging in male and female fruit flies whose mitochondria came from different origins.
They found genetic variations in both male and female mitochondrial DNA, but only the male ones could be linked to life expectancy. There weren't just a few mutations in one place, there were several, spread all over the mitochondrial genome:
"... our results indicate that the mitochondrial mutation loads affecting male aging generally comprise numerous mutations over multiple sites," they write.
The researchers suggest the mutations are entirely due to the way mitochondrial DNA is passed down through the female line.
"If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed. Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed," Dowling explained.
In an earlier study that looked at the effect of mitochondria being passed down the female line, the team had also discovered a link with male infertility.
Dowling said combining this latest study with their earlier work suggests mitochondria are "hotspots" for mutations that influece male health.
"What we seek to do now is investigate the genetic mechanisms that males might arm themselves with to nullify the effects of these harmful mutations and remain healthy," said Dowling.
Written by Catharine Paddock PhD Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)
Epic Fail!
posted by Kitfox on 3 Aug 2012 at 6:56 am
Is this research screening all flies or just the married ones? The data could be flawed. What we need to look into is the nagging genes of the females of the species and turn it off. Once that has been achieved the males will no longer mutate their genes ON PURPOSE in order to shorten the suffering period. :)
| post followup | alert a moderator |
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'DNA Clue Discovered For Why Women Outlive Men'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Editor's Choice Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience Also Included In: Allergy Article Date: 04 Aug 2012 - 1:00 PDT
A new study has added to the growing body of evidence implying that there's a link between allergies and reduced risk of a serious type of cancer that starts in the brain.
According to this particular study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the reduced risk seems to be stronger among women than men, however men have a lower tumor risk with certain allergies.
Scientists have believed having allergies or similar factors reduces the risk for this cancer, and this study has strengthened that theory. Experts have never known whether allergies lower the risk of cancer or if, before diagnosis, these tumors (glioma) interfere with the hypersensitive immune response to allergens, because they have the potential to suppress the immune system in order to grow.
Stored blood samples that were taken from patients decades before they were diagnosed with glioma were analyzed by the researchers. The researchers found that there was a 50% reduced risk of developing glioma 20 years later for men and women who had blood samples containing allergy-related antibodies, compared to people without signs of allergies.
Judith Schwartzbaum, associate professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University, investigator in the University's Comprehensive Cancer Center, and leading author of the study, said:
"This is our most important finding. The longer before glioma diagnosis that the effect of allergies is present, the less likely it is that the tumor is suppressing allergies. Seeing this association so long before tumor diagnosis suggests that antibodies or some aspect of allergy is reducing tumor risk.
It could be that in allergic people, higher levels of circulating antibodies may stimulate the immune system, and that could lower the risk of glioma. Absence of allergy is the strongest risk factor identified so far for this brain tumor, and there is still more to understand about how this association works."
Studies, until now, have not been able to analyze blood samples collected longer than 20 years before tumor diagnosis. Previous studies examining the relationship between allergies and brain tumor risk have used self-report questionnaires on patients' histories with glioma.
The study also showed that women had at least a 50% lower risk for the most severe and common type of these tumors, known as glioblastoma, if their blood samples tested positive for specific allergy antibodies. These results were not seen in men. On the other hand, men had a 20% reduced risk of this tumor if they tested positive for both specific antibodies and antibodies of unknown function than men who tested negative.
In the United States, glioblastomas constitute about 60% of adult tumors that start in the brain, which affects 3 in 100,000 people. Patients may seek treatments such as radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. On average, these patients survive for about one year, with fewer than 25% surviving up to 2 years and just 10% surviving up to 5 years.
The Janus Serum Bank in Norway granted the research team access to specimens. This bank contains samples collected over the last 40 years from people during their annual medical checkups or from volunteer blood donors. Since 1953, Norway has registered all recent cancer cases in the country, and personal identification numbers allows cross-referencing those cases with blood samples that have been previously collected.
The experts were able to analyze stored samples from 594 citizens who were diagnosed with glioma, including 374 that were diagnosed with glioblastoma, between 1974 and 2007. These samples were matched for age, sex, and date of blood collection with 1,777 samples from people who did not have glioma in order to compare.
The team was looking for levels of two types of proteins, IgE, or immunoglobulin E, while they were measuring the blood samples. This is a class of antibodies that are made from white blood cells that mediate immune responses to allergens. Two classes of IgE take part in the allergic response:
allergen-specific IgE- identifies specific components of an allergen
total IgE- identifies these components but also includes antibodies with unknown functions
The researchers observed each sample and determined whether the serum had elevated levels of IgE specific to the most common allergens in Norway as well as IgE. Specific Respiratory allergens were:
tree pollen and plants
dog and horse dander
dust mites
mold
A statistical analysis was then conducted in order to approximate the association between the risk of developing glioma and elevated concentrations of allergen-specific IgE and total IgE.
A 54% reduced risk of glioblastoma was associated with the women who tested positive for elevated levels of allergen-specific IgE compared to the women who tested negative. This association was not seen in men.
The relation between total IgE levels and risk of glioma was the same for both sexes. For men and women combined, a 25% reduced risk of glioma was associated with testing positive for elevated total IgE.
The analysis for effects on glioblastoma risk alone showed a similar decreased risk for both men and women combined whose blood samples tested positive for elevated levels of IgE. However, this finding was considered borderline in terms of statistical significance because it was not a significant enough number, meaning there is still the possibility that the association could be caused by chance.
"There is definitely a difference in the effect of allergen-specific IgE between men and women. And even results for total IgE suggest there still may be a difference between the sexes. The reason for this difference is unknown," explained Schwartzbaum.
This research has shown evidence for the likelihood that the immune system of people with respiratory allergies could help fight against this type of cancer. The author explained that being able to examine this association over 4 decades between blood sampling and tumor diagnosis gave him and his team better insight.
For example, a 46% reduced risk for developing glioma 20 years later was associated with a positive test for elevated concentrations of total IgE compared to samples that tested negative. That reduced risk was only about 25% in samples that tested positive for high levels of total IgE taken between 2 and 15 years before diagnosis.
Schwartzbaum explained:
"There may be a trend- the closer the samples get to the time of diagnosis, the less help the IgE is in decreasing the risk of glioma. However, if the tumor were suppressing allergy, we would expect to see a bigger difference in risk near the time of diagnosis."
He hopes to further his research and analyze the serum samples for concentration of cytokines (chemical passengers that promote or suppress inflammation as part of the immune response) in order to see if these proteins play a part in the relationship between elevated IgE levels and reduced tumor risk.
Written by Sarah Glynn Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Additional
References
Citations
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Add Your Opinion On This Article
'Allergy Sufferers Have Lower Risk Of Brain Tumors'
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
