HOME HELP FEEDBACK TABLE OF CONTENTS ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Timonen, T. Articles by Pukkala, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Timonen, T. Articles by Pukkala, E.

Are sunlight deprivation and influenza epidemics associated with the onset of acute leukemia?

From the Department of Internal Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (TT); Department of Public Health Science & General Practice, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (SN); Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland (SN); Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland TK); Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research, Helsinki, Finland (PE)

Correspondence: Simo Näyhä, Department of Public Health Science & General Practice, P.O. Box 5000, FI-90014, University of Oulu, Finland. E-mail: simo.nayha{at}oulu.fi

Month of diagnosis of 7,423 cases of acute leukemia (AL) in Finland during 1964–2003 were linked with data on influenza and solar radiation. Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) showed the highest risk in the dark season. During the light season, the incidence decreased by 58% (95% confidence interval, 16–79%) per 1,000 kJ/m²/d increase of solar radiation. Independent of solar radiation, AML increased by 9% (95% confidence interval, 0–19%) during influenza epidemics. Reoccurring at the same time annually, darkness-related vitamin D deficiency and influenza could cause successive and co-operative mutations leading to AL with a short latency.

Key words: acute leukemia, seasonality, sunlight, vitamin D, influenza. Haematologica.