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Serum CRP and IL-6, genetic variants and risk of colorectal adenoma in a multiethnic population

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Abstract

Chronic inflammation, which is suspected to play a role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), has rarely been studied in colorectal adenoma. We investigated the inter-relationships of serum levels of the inflammatory proteins CRP and in IL-6, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRP (rs1205, rs1130864, rs1800947) and IL6 (rs1800795) genes, and lifestyle factors with colorectal adenoma in a sigmoidoscopy-based case–control study of 271 adenoma cases and 539 age-, sex-, and race/ethnicity-matched controls in Hawaii. We found no association of serum CRP or IL-6 levels with the risk of adenoma. A multiple regression with stepwise selection identified elevated BMI, Caucasian and Native Hawaiian versus Japanese race/ethnicity, and current smoking as being associated with significantly higher serum CRP and IL-6 levels. Female versus male gender was also associated with higher CRP levels and older age with higher IL-6 levels. The C allele of rs1205 and the A allele of rs1130864 were significantly associated with higher serum CRP levels (p trend: 0.0002 and 0.01, respectively), as well as with a decreased adenoma risk [rs1205: OR for CT and CC vs. TT = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.48–0.98) and 0.53 (0.34–0.83), respectively, p trend = 0.008; rs1130864: OR for GA and AA versus GG = 0.65 (0.45–0.93) and 0.74 (0.31–1.76), respectively, p trend = 0.04]. The findings of lower serum CRP and IL-6 levels in Japanese (a group with a high CRC risk) and of a decreased adenoma risk observed for alleles associated with higher circulating CRP levels suggest a protective effect for CRP in early colorectal neoplasia that warrants further study.

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Acknowledgments

Supported in part by NCI grants R01 CA72520, CA60987 and CA129063, and R25-CA90956. We thank Annette Jones and Ann Seifried for performing the genotyping, Anne Tome for help with data analysis, and our interviewing and phlebotomy staff for data and sample collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA

    Simona Ognjanovic, Jennifer Yamamoto, Barbara Saltzman, Adrian Franke & Loïc Le Marchand

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, MMC 715, 420 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Simona Ognjanovic

  3. Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Miodrag Ognjanovic

  4. Pacific Health Research Institute, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Lance Yokochi

  5. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Thomas Vogt & Robert Decker

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  1. Simona Ognjanovic
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  2. Jennifer Yamamoto
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Correspondence to Simona Ognjanovic.

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Ognjanovic, S., Yamamoto, J., Saltzman, B. et al. Serum CRP and IL-6, genetic variants and risk of colorectal adenoma in a multiethnic population. Cancer Causes Control 21, 1131–1138 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9540-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9540-7

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