European Journal of Epidemiology
Volume 20, Issue 8, 2005, Pages 713-717

The association between allergy and diabetes in the Canadian population: Implications for the Th1-Th2 hypothesis (Article)

Dales R.* , Chen Y. , Lin M. , Karsh J.
  • a Department of Medicine, Ottawa Health Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont., Canada, Ottawa Hospital, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ont. K1H 8L6, Canada
  • b Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont., Canada
  • c Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont., Canada
  • d Department of Medicine, Ottawa Health Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont., Canada

Abstract

T-lymphocytes may preferentially differentiate towards a Th1 subtype, which is thought to be involved in the autoimmune aspects of diabetes, or a Th2 subtype, which is thought to mediate allergic disease. The activation of one subtype is thought to inhibit the other. To determine if diabetes is less common among those with allergic disease, consistent with the postulated TH1/Th2 paradigm, we used data from the 2000-2001 Canadian Community Health Survey of those at least 12 years of age from 125,159 households. Diabetes requiring insulin was reported in 1% whether or not allergies were reported. The crude odds ratio between diabetes and allergies for the entire population was 1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90, 1.24). Adjusted for household size, number of bedrooms, immigrant status, income adequacy, educational level, smoking status, alcohol drinking status, regular exercise, and age, there was a positive association between allergy and diabetes with an odds ratio of 1.25 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.49). These results do not provide evidence for the existence of the Th1/Th2 paradigm as a determinant of disease patterns in the general population. © Springer 2005.

Author Keywords

Lymphocytes Epidemiology Immunity Asthma diabetes

Index Keywords

human middle aged diabetes mellitus controlled study Aged Logistic Models Hypersensitivity Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 school child Humans Adolescent male Canada cellular immunity female Th2 cell Th1 cell Risk Factors Th1 Cells Th2 Cells prevalence Article allergy major clinical study adult disease association Child health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-24644481842&doi=10.1007%2fs10654-005-7920-1&partnerID=40&md5=f1bda34fa04a3d3ac40356b6f4656683
DOI: 10.1007/s10654-005-7920-1
ISSN: 03932990
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English