A cross-sectional analysis of the associations between adult height, BMI and serum concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-1 -2 and -3 in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
Crowe FL., Key TJ., Allen NE., Appleby PN., Overvad K., Grønbæk H., Tjønneland A., Halkjær J., Dossus L., Boeing H., Kröger J., Trichopoulou A., Zylis D., Trichopoulos D., Boutron-Ruault M-C., de Lauzon-Guillain B., Clavel-Chapelon F., Palli D., Berrino F., Panico S., Tumino R., Sacerdote C., Bueno-de-Mesquita HB., van Gils CH., Peeters PHM., Gram IT., Rodríguez L., Jakszyn P., Molina-Montes E., Navarro C., Barricarte A., Larrañaga N., Khaw K-T., Rodwell S., Rinaldi S., Slimani N., Norat T., Gallo V., Riboli E., Kaaks R.
BACKGROUND: Height and BMI are risk factors for several types of cancer and may be related to circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a peptide associated with increased cancer risk. AIM: To assess the associations between height, BMI and serum concentrations of IGF-I and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-1, -2 and -3. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis included 1142 men and 3589 women aged 32-77 years from the multi-centre study, the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). RESULTS: In men, there was a positive association between height and IGF-I; each 10 cm increment in height was associated with an increase in IGF-I concentrations of 4.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-7.5%, p for trend = 0.005), but this association was not statistically significant for women (0.9%, 95% CI: - 0.7 to 2.6%, p for trend = 0.264). In both men and women, the association between IGF-I and BMI was non-linear and those with a BMI of 26-27 kg/m² had the highest IGF-I concentration. BMI was strongly inversely related to concentrations of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2 in men and in women (p for trend for all < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Height and BMI are associated with IGF-I and its binding proteins, which may be mechanisms through which body size contributes to increased risk of several cancers.