Allergies could lower risk of brain cancer

Published on 06/08/2012 01:40

ALLERGIES could lower the risk of brain cancer in women by 50 per cent, research shows.

A study found that antibodies 
associated with allergies were linked to a 50 per cent decrease in the likelihood of developing the most common form of brain cancer in women, and a 20 per cent decrease in men.

Researchers from Ohio State University were studying the effects of IgE – a protein which produces antibodies – on brain tumours known as gliomas.

Some of the antibodies were non-specific and not connected to any particular allergy, while others are linked to asthma, 
eczema and conjunctivitis.

They found that the higher the levels of the antibody, the lower the risk of gliomas, reports the Journal of the National 
Cancer Institute.

Scientists studied blood samples taken from patients years before diagnosis and found that those whose blood samples 
contained allergy-related anti-
bodies had a lower risk of 
developing gliomas 20 years later, compared to people without signs of allergies.