Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Feb 14, 2014; 20(6): 1608-1613
Published online Feb 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i6.1608
Possible roles of insulin, IGF-1 and IGFBPs in initiation and progression of colorectal cancer
Bo Jiang, Xin Zhang, Li-Li Du, Yan Wang, Dong-Bo Liu, Cun-Zhi Han, Jie-Xian Jing, Xian-Wen Zhao, Xiao-Qin Xu
Bo Jiang, Xin Zhang, Dong-Bo Liu, Department of Anorectal Surgery, Shanxi Cancer Hospital, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China
Li-Li Du, Yan Wang, Cun-Zhi Han, Jie-Xian Jing, Xian-Wen Zhao, Xiao-Qin Xu, Laboratory of Etiology, Shanxi Cancer Hospital, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Jiang B and Du LL designed the study and provided financial support for this work; Zhang X and Liu DB collected the patient material and acquired the data; Du LL, Wang Y and Han CZ performed data analysis and interpretation; Jing JX, Zhao XW and Xu XQ provided vital reagents, revised the paper critically for intellectual content and were also involved in editing the manuscript; Du LL and Han CZ wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Li-Li Du, Associate Senior Technician, Laboratory of Etiology, Shanxi Cancer hospital, 3# Zhigongxinjie, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China. 610842029@qq.com
Telephone: +86-351-4651667  Fax: +86-351-4651667
Received: September 13, 2013
Revised: December 9, 2013
Accepted: December 12, 2013
Published online: February 14, 2014
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the roles of serum insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer.

METHODS: We determined serum insulin, IGF-1 and IGFBPs levels in 615 colorectal cancer patients and 650 control healthy donors by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the meantime, their body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were measured.

RESULTS: Serum levels of insulin and IGF-1 as well as IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio in pre-operation patients were significantly elevated, but the level of IGFBP-3 was significantly decreased compared with normal controls and post-operation patients (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). There is no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the levels of insulin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-3 and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 between the patients with and without hepatic as well as distal abdominal metastases. WHR and BMI of colon cancer patients were positively and significantly correlated with the levels of insulin and IGF-1/IGFBP-3. In contrast, WHR and BMI were negatively correlated with IGFBP-3 level.

CONCLUSION: The elevation of insulin, IGF-1 as well as IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio and the reduction of IGFBP-3 may be related to the initiation of colorectal cancer, but they are not related to the progression and outcome of the disease.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer, Insulin, Insulin-like growth factor-1, Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3, Insulin-like growth factor-1/insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 ratio

Core tip: A previous study evaluated the effects of insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) on cell growth and proliferation, which played important roles in the etiology of colon cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of changes in serum insulin, IGF-1, IGFBPs, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio with the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. We observed that there were no differences in serum levels of leptin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 as well as IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio between pre- and post-operation colorectal cancer patients.