The sufferers of runny nose and watery eyes during hay-fever season may also mean they are less likely to develop brain cancer, according to a study in the journal Cancer Research.

Researchers studied 533 people in Sweden and found that those with asthma and allergies were significantly less likely to develop brain tumors.

The findings, while preliminary, could help advance the understanding of the immune system's role in cancer, researchers say.

New evidence for this relationship is found in the normal variation of two genes, the scientists say.

"Variations in certain genes may make a person more prone to develop asthma or allergies and those same variations may protect adults against the most common kind of brain cancer," said Judith Schwartzbaum, the study's lead author and an associate professor of public health at Ohio State University .

Researchers looked for evidence of common genetic variants on the two genes that have been linked to asthma and allergies -- IL4RA and IL-13.

They analyzed DNA samples from 111 patients with glioblastoma tumors and 422 people without brain tumors. The participants were also questioned about their allergy and asthma history.

Epidemiologist and researcher Judith Schwartzbaum, PhD, tells WebMD that people with two specific genetic variants for IL-4RA were twice as likely to have asthma but 40% less likely to have a glioblastoma. A similar association was seen for two variations on the IL-13 gene.

It's possible that means asthma somehow protects against brain tumors, though that's not the most likely explanation, Schwartzbaum said.

Source: Xinhua/agencies