title: A prospective study of plasma inflammatory markers and risk of colorectal cancer in men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic inflammation may mediate risk of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the association between circulating inflammatory markers and risk of CRC has been inconsistent.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively evaluated the association of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR-2) with incident CRC among 274 cases and 532 matched controls nested in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate relative risk (RR) of CRC comparing the extreme quartiles of plasma IL-6 was 1.54 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.99-2.40; P(trend)=0.02). However, after excluding cases diagnosed within 2 years of blood draw, this association was not statistically significant (RR=1.26, 95% CI, 0.78-2.05; P(trend)=0.21). In analyses restricted to cases diagnosed at least 2 years after blood draw, the association of IL-6 with CRC appeared to differ by body mass index such that the significantly positive association was only present among lean individuals (P(interaction)=0.03). We did not observe any significant association between CRP or sTNFR-2 and CRC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma inflammatory markers are not generally associated with risk of CRC among men. However, the possibility that plasma IL-6 is associated with increased risk of CRC among lean men requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Giovannucci
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000097:blood*; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015850:Interleukin-6; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D002097:C-Reactive Protein