Risk of lymphoma and leukaemia after bacille Calmette-Guerin and smallpox vaccination: A Danish case-cohort study

Summary, in English

Vaccines may have non-specific effects as suggested mainly in mortality studies from low-income countries. The objective was to examine the effects of BCG and smallpox vaccinations on subsequent risk of lymphoma and leukaemia in a Danish population experiencing rapid out-phasing of these vaccines. In a background cohort (N=47,622) from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register, cases of leukaemia (N=20) and lymphoma (N=51) were identified through the Danish Cancer Registry. The vaccination status of the cases was compared with the vaccination status of a 5% random sample (N = 2073) of the background cohort and analysed in a case-cohort design. BCG vaccination reduced the risk of lymphomas (HR=0.49 (95% CI: 0.26-0.93)), whereas smallpox vaccination did not (HR=1.32 (0.56-3.08)). With the small number of leukaemia cases, the analysis of leukaemia had limited power (BCG vaccination HR=0.81(0.31-2.16); smallpox vaccination HR=1.32 (0.49-3.53)). The present study with very reliable vaccine history information indicates a beneficial effect of BCG vaccination on the risk of lymphomas. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Author: Marie Villumsen; Signe Sorup; Tine Jess; Henrik Ravn; Thomas Relander; Jennifer L. Baker; Christine Stabell Benn; Thorkild I. A. Sorensen; Peter Aaby; Adam Roth
• Department/s: Breastcancer-genetics; Clinical Microbiology, Malmö
• Publishing year: 2009
• Language: English
• Pages: 6950-6958
• Publication/Series: Vaccine
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 49
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.08.103
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Topic: Microbiology in the medical area; Cancer and Oncology
• Keywords: Haematologic malignancies; BCG vaccination; Smallpox vaccination
• Status: Published
• Research group: Clinical Microbiology, Malmö
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1873-2518