Abstract
BackgroundExcess adipose tissue represents a major risk factor for the development of colon cancer with inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling being proposed as plausible mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity can influence circulating levels of inflammation-related extracellular matrix proteins in patients with colon cancer (CC), promoting a microenvironment favorable for tumor growth.MethodsSerum samples obtained from 79 subjects [26 lean (LN) and 53 obese (OB)] were used in the study. Enrolled subjects were further subclassified according to the established diagnostic protocol for CC (44 without CC and 35 with CC). Anthropometric measurements as well as circulating metabolites and hormones were determined. Circulating concentrations of the ECM proteins osteopontin (OPN), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), tenascin C (TNC) and lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) were determined by ELISA.ResultsSignificant differences in circulating OPN, YKL-40 and TNC concentrations between the experimental groups were observed, being significantly increased due to obesity (P<0.01) and colon cancer (P<0.05). LCN-2 levels were affected by obesity (P<0.05), but no differences were detected regarding the presence or not of CC. A positive association (P<0.05) with different inflammatory markers was also detected.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, we herein show for the first time that obese patients with CC exhibit increased circulating levels of OPN, YKL-40 and TNC providing further evidence for the influence of obesity on CC development via ECM proteins, representing promising diagnostic biomarkers or target molecules for therapeutics.
Highlights
Overweight and obesity are expanding on a worldwide level, becoming a major global health challenge [1,2]
We show for the first time that obese patients with CC exhibit increased circulating levels of OPN, YKL-40 and tenascin C (TNC) providing further evidence for the influence of obesity on CC development via extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, representing promising diagnostic biomarkers or target molecules for therapeutics
Given the inflammatory state and the adipose tissue ECM remodeling that takes place in obesity as well as its relationship with colon cancer (CC), the aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity can influence circulating levels of these inflammation-related ECM proteins in patients with colon cancer promoting a microenvironment favorable for tumor growth
Summary
Overweight and obesity are expanding on a worldwide level, becoming a major global health challenge [1,2]. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for the development of multiple types of cancers, but have been shown to be associated with poor prognosis and higher death rates [2,4,5,6]. In this sense, a robust link between obesity and increased incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is evident [7]. Increasing body weight and a higher percentage of body fat were significantly associated with increased CRC-related mortality after CRC diagnosis [10]. The aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity can influence circulating levels of inflammation-related extracellular matrix proteins in patients with colon cancer (CC), promoting a microenvironment favorable for tumor growth
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