Higher Plasma concentration of CRP linked with elevated risk of lung cancer

From the data of a new study conducted by Jian Yin and colleagues, it was shown that, particularly among non-obese participants, there was a dose-dependent connection between high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and lung cancer risk in the Chinese population, indicating that C-reactive protein (CRP) might be used as a possible biomarker for predicting lung cancer risk and identifying high-risk individuals. The findings of this study were published in Cancer Prevention Research.

Multiple forms of cancer have been linked to the systemic marker of chronic inflammation known as C-reactive protein. The effect of CRP on lung cancer incidence in the Chinese population is not well understood, yet.

In all, 97,950 Kailuan Study individuals who were cancer-free at baseline (2006–2007) were monitored. At the baseline interview, all individuals had their plasma high-sensitivity CRP levels checked. The relationship between hsCRP concentrations and the incidence of lung cancer was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models.

The key findings of this study were:

1. 890 incident lung cancer cases developed throughout the 8.7-year follow-up period, and they were separated into three groups based on the hsCRP level.

2. After controlling for covariates, the incidence of incident lung cancer was substantially higher in the high group compared to the low group with elevated levels of hsCRP.

3. Additionally, following BMI stratification, individuals with BMI24 and BMI=24-28, but not those with BMI28, showed statistically favorable relationships between the hsCRP level and the risk of lung cancer. Lung cancer development was influenced by an antagonistic interaction between hsCRP levels and BMI (Pinteraction=0.049).

In conclusion, the Authors found that lung cancer incidence is up to 42% more likely to occur when plasma levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein are higher. 

Reference: 

Yin, J., Wang, G., Wu, Z., Lyu, Z., Su, K., Li, F., Feng, X., Guo, L.-W., Chen, Y., Xie, S., Cui, H., Li, J., Ren, J., Shi, J.-F., Chen, S., Wu, S., Dai, M., Li, N., & He, J. (2022). Association Between Baseline C-Reactive Protein and the Risk of Lung Cancer: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study. In Cancer Prevention Research (pp. OF1–OF7). American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). https://doi.org/10.1158/1940-6207.capr-21-0533