Elsevier

European Journal of Cancer

Volume 84, October 2017, Pages 228-238
European Journal of Cancer

Original Research
Pro-inflammatory fatty acid profile and colorectal cancer risk: A Mendelian randomisation analysis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2017.07.034Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Background

While dietary fat has been established as a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), associations between fatty acids (FAs) and CRC have been inconsistent. Using Mendelian randomisation (MR), we sought to evaluate associations between polyunsaturated (PUFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and saturated FAs (SFAs) and CRC risk.

Methods

We analysed genotype data on 9254 CRC cases and 18,386 controls of European ancestry. Externally weighted polygenic risk scores were generated and used to evaluate associations with CRC per one standard deviation increase in genetically defined plasma FA levels.

Results

Risk reduction was observed for oleic and palmitoleic MUFAs (OROA = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.65–0.92, P = 3.9 × 10−3; ORPOA = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.15–0.84, P = 0.018). PUFAs linoleic and arachidonic acid had negative and positive associations with CRC respectively (ORLA = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93–0.98, P = 3.7 × 10−4; ORAA = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.07, P = 1.7 × 10−4). The SFA stearic acid was associated with increased CRC risk (ORSA = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01–1.35, P = 0.041).

Conclusion

Results from our analysis are broadly consistent with a pro-inflammatory FA profile having a detrimental effect in terms of CRC risk.

Keywords

Mendelian randomisation
Colorectal cancer
Risk
Plasma fatty acids
Fatty acids

Cited by (0)

1

These authors contributed equally to this work.