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Systemic Inflammation Linked to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Risk
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Researchers have linked prediagnostic markers of inflammation with an increased risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma, according to a study published in Gut.
Michael B. Cook , PhD, of the division of cancer epidemiology at the National Cancer Institute, and colleagues wrote that the markers they identified could at least partially mediate the associations between obesity and smoking and esophageal adenocarcinoma risk.
“Mechanisms underlying the association between cigarette smoking and esophageal adenocarcinoma possibly include genotoxic effects, promotion of [GERD] and promotion of systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction,” they wrote. “Elucidating whether systemic inflammation is a mechanism that underlies these exposures on cancer risk is important so that we can have a clearer picture of pathogenesis providing knowledge for risk reduction strategies and highlighting molecular pathways for therapeutic intervention.”
Cook and colleagues conducted a nested case-control study that comprised 296 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma and 296 incidence density matched controls from seven prospective cohort studies. They estimated associations between inflammation markers and esophageal adenocarcinoma, and the effects of obesity and smoking on the risk for malignancy.
Investigators categorized detected biomarkers found in 75% or more of participants into quartiles. They then found that soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR2) was significantly associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma (OR 4th vs. 1st quartile = 2.67; 95% CI, 1.52–4.68). Their analysis found that sTNFR2 might account for as much as 33% of the effect of waist circumference on esophageal adenocarcinoma risk.
Researchers also found that the link between smoking and adenocarcinoma risk might be mediated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (P < .05).
Cook and colleagues wrote that this is the first study to assess inflammation markers and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
“The underlying mechanisms that link these key exposures with cancer risk remain largely unexplored, but this study has begun to reveal a systemic inflammatory link, particularly with central [obesity],” they wrote. “Further investigations of these pathways and other inflammation markers associated with esophageal adenocarcinogenesis by this study are clearly warranted to help further elucidate biological mechanisms underlying these observations.” – by Alex Young
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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