Serum transforming growth factor-β1 and risk of pancreatic cancer in three prospective cohort studies
A partir des données d'une étude de cohorte finlandaise et de deux études de cohorte américaines portant sur 729 cas et 907 témoins, cette étude analyse l'association entre le niveau de concentration sérique de
Purpose : Clinically evident chronic pancreatitis is a strong risk factor for pancreatic cancer. A small Japanese cohort study previously reported that pre-diagnostic serum transforming growth factor-
β1 (TGF-β1) concentration, a potential marker of subclinical pancreatic inflammation, was associated with higher risk of pancreatic cancer. We further explored this association in a larger prospective study. Methods
:
Serum TGF-β1 concentrations were measured in pre-diagnostic samples from 729 pancreatic cancer cases and 907 matched controls from a cohort of Finnish male smokers (the Alpa-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention Study) and two cohorts of US men and women, the Cancer Prevention Study-II and the Prostate Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results
:
Overall, serum TGF-β1 concentration was not associated with a clear increase in pancreatic cancer risk (OR 1.36, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.98
–1.88 for highest vs. lowest quintile, p trend = 0.20). However, this association differed significantly by follow-up time (p = 0.02). Serum TGF-
β1 concentration was not associated with risk during the first 10 years of follow-up, but was associated with higher risk during follow-up after 10 years (OR 2.13, 95 % CI 1.23
–3.68 for highest vs. lowest quintile, p trend = 0.001). During follow-up after 10 years, serum TGF-
β1 was associated with higher risk only in the ATBC cohort, although most subjects were from ATBC during this time period and statistical evidence for heterogeneity across cohorts was limited (p = 0.14). Conclusions
:
These results suggest that high serum TGF-β1 may be associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer although a long follow-up period may be needed to observe this association