Assessment of Adipokine and Inflammation Biomarkers with Cancer Risk among Chinese Men: A Prospective Cohort Study

Obesity and chronic inflammation are associated with cancer risk. We investigated the association between adipokines, inflammation markers, and cancer risk in Chinese men.

Using prediagnostic fasting plasma samples from 4,051 (6.6%) participants of the Shanghai Men's Health Study, ages 40 to 74 years, recruitted during 2002 to 2006, we evaluated the associations of inflammation biomarkers with risk of all cancers and top four cancers among Chinese men: lung, stomach, liver, and colorectal cancers. Levels of leptin, resistin, adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNFα, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and insulin were measured using Luminex assays and C-reactive protein (CRP) using the ACE Clinical Chemistry System. Cox regression models were applied to derive adjusted HRs (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cancer risk in association with per-log-unit and tertile increment of biomarker levels.

After adjusting for known cancer risk factors, the third versus first tertile of TNFα (aHR = 1.78; 95% CI, 1.04-3.05) was associated with lung cancer, whereas leptin (aHR = 3.00; 95% CI, 1.23-7.25), insulin (aHR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.04-4.54), and CRP (aHR = 2.24; 95% CI, 1.16-4.32) levels were each associated with colorectal cancer. Per-log-unit increase in TNFα was associated with all cancers (aHR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.00-1.52) and lung cancer (aHR = 1.45, 95% CI, 1.00-2.15); insulin (aHR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.04-2.05) and CRP (aHR = 1.20, 95% CI, 1.00-1.44) with colorectal cancer; and adiponectin (aHR = 3.27; 95% CI, 1.64-6.52), insulin (aHR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.03-3.38), and IL-8 (aHR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.00-3.30) with liver cancer.

The prediagnostic plasma level of TNFα was associated with lung cancer; CRP, insulin, and leptin were associated with colorectal cancer.

Inflammation and obesity biomarkers can identify high-risk individuals for targeted interventions.