TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk of lymphoma and leukaemia after bacille Calmette-Guérin and smallpox vaccination: a Danish case-cohort study
AU - Villumsen, Marie
AU - Sørup, Signe
AU - Jess, Tine
AU - Ravn, Henrik
AU - Relander, Thomas
AU - Baker, Jennifer L
AU - Benn, Christine Stabell
AU - Sørensen, Thorkild I A
AU - Aaby, Peter
AU - Roth, Adam
N1 - Keywords: Age of Onset; BCG Vaccine; Cohort Studies; Denmark; Female; Humans; Leukemia; Lymphoma; Male; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors; Smallpox Vaccine; Vaccination
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
U2 - 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.08.103
DO - 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.08.103
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 19747577
SN - 0264-410X
VL - 27
SP - 6950
EP - 6958
JO - Vaccine
JF - Vaccine
IS - 49
ER -
