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C-reactive protein and colorectal adenoma in the CLUE II cohort

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Abstract

Objective

Circulating C-reactive protein concentration has been associated with colorectal cancer in some studies. Whether C-reactive protein is associated with earlier steps in the natural history of this cancer has not been published (aside from an abstract). Thus, we evaluated the association between plasma C-reactive protein concentration and development of colorectal adenoma in a nested case–control study.

Methods

Colorectal adenoma cases (n = 135) and matched controls (n = 269) who had a negative sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy were identified between baseline in 1989 and 2000 from among participants in the CLUE II cohort of Washington County, Maryland. Cases were confirmed by medical record review. Controls were matched with cases on age, sex, race, date of blood draw, time since last meal, and type of endoscopy. The odds ratio (OR) of adenoma was estimated from conditional logistic regression models.

Results

C-reactive protein concentrations were similar between colorectal adenoma cases and controls (median C-reactive protein, 1.31 vs. 1.38 mg/l; p = 0.13). The OR of colorectal adenoma among those in the highest fourth (>2.95 mg/l) of C-reactive protein concentration compared with the lowest fourth (<0.65 mg/l) was 0.61 (95% confidence interval, 0.29–1.25; p for trend = 0.25).

Conclusions

Pre-diagnostic plasma C-reactive protein concentration was not associated with an increased risk of colorectal adenoma. More work is needed to determine whether C-reactive protein is a valid marker of intra-colonic inflammation, and whether such inflammation contributes to the etiology of colorectal neoplasia.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the continued efforts of the staff members at the Johns Hopkins George W. Comstock Center for Public Health Research and Prevention in the conduct of the CLUE II studies. We also thank Gary Bradwin, director of the Rifai laboratory. Financial support: American Institute for Cancer Research and the Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund at Johns Hopkins University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Rm. E 6132A, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Konstantinos K. Tsilidis, Sandy Hoffman, Kathy J. Helzlsouer & Elizabeth A. Platz

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Austin, TX, USA

    Thomas P. Erlinger

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Nader Rifai

  4. George W. Comstock Center for Public Health Research and Prevention, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Hagerstown, MD, USA

    Sandy Hoffman, Judy Hoffman-Bolton & Kathy J. Helzlsouer

  5. Prevention and Research Center, Weinberg Center for Women’s Health and Medicine, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Kathy J. Helzlsouer

  6. The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Kathy J. Helzlsouer & Elizabeth A. Platz

Authors
  1. Konstantinos K. Tsilidis
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  2. Thomas P. Erlinger
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  3. Nader Rifai
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  4. Sandy Hoffman
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  5. Judy Hoffman-Bolton
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  6. Kathy J. Helzlsouer
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  7. Elizabeth A. Platz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth A. Platz.

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Tsilidis, K.K., Erlinger, T.P., Rifai, N. et al. C-reactive protein and colorectal adenoma in the CLUE II cohort. Cancer Causes Control 19, 559–567 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9117-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9117-x

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