Circulating Soluble Cytokine Receptors and Colorectal Cancer Risk

• Published in: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention biomarkers & prevention, 2014-01, Vol.23 (1), p.179-188
• Main Authors: HO, Gloria Y. F, TAO WANG, PHIPPS, Amanda I, STRICKLER, Howard D, GUNTER, Marc J, CUSHMAN, Mary, ZHENG, Siqun L, TINKER, Lesley, JIANFENG XU, ROHAN, Thomas E, WASSERTHEIL-SMOLLER, Sylvia, XIAONAN XUE, AUGENLICHT, Leonard H, PETERS, Ulrike
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Case-Control Studies; Colorectal Neoplasms - blood; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Postmenopause - blood; Prospective Studies; Receptors, Cytokine - blood; Risk Factors; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors
• ISSN: 1055-9965; 1538-7755
• DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0545

Soluble cytokine receptors and receptor antagonist of proinflammatory cytokines can modify cytokine signaling and may affect cancer risk. In a case-cohort study nested within the Women's Health Initiative cohort of postmenopausal women, we assessed the associations of plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and the soluble receptors of IL-1 (sIL-1R2), IL-6 (sIL-6R and sgp130), and TNF (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) with risk of colorectal cancer in 433 cases and 821 subcohort subjects. Baseline levels of estradiol, insulin, leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α measured previously were also available for data analysis. After adjusting for significant covariates, including age, race, smoking, colonoscopy history, waist circumference, and levels of estrogen, insulin, and leptin, relatively high levels of sIL-6R and sIL-1R2 were associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk [HRs comparing extreme quartiles (HRQ4-Q1) for sIL-6R, 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.38-0.83; HRQ4-Q1 for sIL-1R2, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.29-0.67]. The associations with IL-1Ra, sgp130, sTNFR1, and sTNFR2 were null. The inverse association of sIL-1R2 with colorectal cancer risk persisted in cases diagnosed ≤5 and >5 years from baseline blood draw; the association with sIL-6R, however, was not evident in the latter group, possibly indicating that relatively low levels of sIL-6R in cases might be due to undiagnosed cancer at the time of blood draw. High circulating levels of sIL-1R2 may be protective against colorectal carcinogenesis and/or be a marker of reduced risk for the disease. sIL-1R2 has potential to be a chemopreventive and/or immunotherapeutic agent in inflammation-related diseases.