Ohio State University, "People With Allergies May Have Lower Risk of Brain Tumors": More Evidence of Link Between Autoimmune Disease and Cancer?

Back to science for a moment . . .

You will recall two days ago I wrote (http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2012/08/monoclonal-antibodies-for-dummies-like.html):

"Note the relationship between autoimmune diseases and cancer: If our immune systems overreact, our bodies can be savaged by autoimmune diseases; if our immune systems fail in their mission to detect intruders owing to surreptitious attempts to disguise pathogens, various kinds of cancer can proliferate."

It would appear that more evidence of this relationship between autoimmune disease and cancer can be found in an article published by Ohio State University entitled "People With Allergies May Have Lower Risk of Brain Tumors" (http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/igeglioma.htm). The article states:

"New research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that there’s a link between allergies and reduced risk of a serious type of cancer that starts in the brain.

. . . .

The study also strengthens scientists’ belief that something about having allergies or a related factor lowers the risk for this cancer. Because these tumors, called glioma, have the potential to suppress the immune system to allow them to grow, researchers have never been sure whether allergies reduce cancer risk or if, before diagnosis, these tumors interfere with the hypersensitive immune response to allergens.

. . . .

'This is our most important finding,' said Judith Schwartzbaum, associate professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University and lead author of the study. '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,' said Schwartzbaum, also an investigator in Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. '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.'"

Fascinating. I can finally appreciate my allergy to cats.