Work

Prediagnostic circulating inflammation markers and endometrial cancer risk in the prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer (PLCO) screening trial

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: Inflammation is proposed to increase risk of developing endometrial cancer, but few prospective epidemiologic studies have investigated the relationship between circulating inflammation markers and endometrial cancer risk. In a nested case-control study within the PLCO Screening Trial we measured serum levels of 64 inflammation-related biomarkers in 284 incident endometrial cancer cases and 284 matched controls. Using multivariable logistic regression inflammation markers were evaluated individually and combined into a cross-validated inflammation score. Of 64 markers, 22 were associated with endometrial cancer risk at p < 0.05 and 17 of 22 markers remained associated after multiple testing corrections. After adjusting for BMI and estradiol, SERPINE1 [quartile(Q)4 vs. Q1 odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)), p trend = 2.43 (0.94-6.29), 0.03] and VEGFA [2.56 (1.52-4.30), 0.0002] were positively associated with endometrial cancer risk, while CCL3 [0.46 (0.27-0.77), 0.01], IL13 [0.55 (0.33-0.93), 0.01], IL21 [0.52 (0.31-0.87), 0.01], IL1B [0.51 (0.30-0.86), 0.01] and IL23 [0.60 (0.35-1.03), 0.02] were inversely associated with risk. We observed large differences in ORs across BMI-inflammation score categories. Endometrial cancer risk was most pronounced among obese women with the highest inflammation score tertile (T) [10.25 (3.56-29.55) vs. normal BMI/T1]. Several inflammation markers were prospectively associated with endometrial cancer, including adipokines, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, angiogenic factors and acute phase proteins. Inverse associations with anti-inflammatory markers (IL13, IL21), other inflammation markers/mediators (CCL3, IL1B, IL23), and a robust positive association between VEGFA and endometrial cancer risk were independent of BMI and estradiol, suggesting that these factors may influence risk through other mechanisms.

Source: International Journal of Cancer

DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30478