Circulating beta-2 microglobulin and risk of cancer : the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC)
Menée sur une cohorte incluant 12 300 participants (période de suivi : 1990-2006), cette étude évalue l'association entre le niveau sérique de la microglobuline bêta 2 et le risque de cancer (2 436 cas)
Background : Serum β-2 microglobulin (Β2M), a major histocompatibility complex class I molecule that is a biomarker of kidney filtration and increased cell turnover, is elevated at the time of diagnosis in hematological and some solid cancers. However, serum Β2M was not examined prospectively as a marker for cancer risk. We hypothesized that in a population without a prior cancer diagnosis, serum Β2M is associated with risk of cancer (n=2,436), including colorectal (n=255), lung (n=298), breast (n=424), prostate (n=524) cancers, and hematological (n=176) malignancies.
Methods : The analytical cohort (n=12,300) was followed for incident cancers from 1990 through 2006. Β2M (range: 0.9-57.8 mg/L) was measured in stored serum collected in 1990-1992. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for cancer incidence and mortality in relation to quartiles of Β2M.
Results : Adjusting for age, sex, race, center, education, body mass index, smoking, aspirin and hormone therapy (in women) and comparing highest to lowest Β2M quartiles, HRs were 1.25 (1.06-1.47; P-trend=0.002) for total cancer risk and 2.21 (1.32-3.70; P-trend=0.001) for colorectal cancer risk, with similar HRs for colon and rectal cancers. These associations remained after adjustment for an inflammatory biomarker, C-reactive protein, and after excluding the first three years of follow-up. Significant associations were also observed for mortality from total, lung and hematological cancers.
Conclusions :These findings provide the first evidence that higher serum Β2M is associated with increased colorectal cancer risk.
Impact : This study supports B2M as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer risk.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention , résumé, 2016