Circulating cytokines and gastric cancer risk.

PURPOSE: Chronic inflammation has been hypothesized to play a significant role in the aetiology of cancer, including gastric cancer. In the present study, we sought to examine pre-diagnostic systemic cytokine levels in plasma, which can be seen as markers of aggregate inflammation, and risk of distal gastric cancer in a case-control study nested within the prospective Shanghai Men's Health Study. METHODS: Circulating levels of eight inflammation-related cytokines were measured in the plasma collected at baseline for 180 incident cases of distal gastric cancer and 358 matched controls. Helicobacter pylori sero-positivity was assessed using multiplex serology. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Individuals with IL-8 levels above the lowest quartile were at twofold increased odds of gastric cancer [OR 1.91 (95 % CI 1.05-3.46), OR 2.10 (95 % CI 1.19-3.74), and OR 2.30 (95 % CI 1.26-4.19), for the second through fourth quartiles, respectively]. While there were suggestions of an increase in risk with increased level of many of the other cytokines measured (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ), no significant associations were found at the p < 0.05 level. Infection with CagA-positive H. pylori did not modify these associations. CONCLUSIONS: In a population with high gastric cancer incidence and high H. pylori prevalence, increased circulating levels of IL-8 may indicate increased risk of gastric cancer. These findings add to our understanding of the disease and further efforts to uncover biomarkers of disease risk.

Duke Scholars

Author Meira Epplein Population Health Sciences