Table 4. Median (inter-quartile range) levels of plasma inflammatory markers according to characteristics of colorectal adenoma among case participants in the Nurses' Health Study (1990)a.
| Characteristic | MIC-1, ng/L | CRP, mg/L | IL-6, ng/L | sTNFR-2, μg/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of adenoma | ||||
| Single (n=482) | 580 (485-742) | 1.94 (0.92-3.86) | 0.93 (0.62-1.62) | 2.69 (2.32-3.13) |
| Multiple (n=252) | 659 (517-856) | 1.88 (0.78-4.45) | 1.02 (0.62-1.58) | 2.67 (2.26-3.22) |
| P value | <0.001 | 0.89 | 0.61 | 0.91 |
| Size of adenoma | ||||
| <1 cm (n=114) | 587 (474-772) | 1.73 (0.84-3.60) | 0.96 (0.65-1.50) | 2.63 (2.37-3.03) |
| ≥1 cm (n=613) | 614 (497-783) | 1.94 (0.90-4.07) | 0.97 (0.62-1.59) | 2.70 (2.29-3.18) |
| P value | 0.13 | 0.47 | 0.84 | 0.58 |
| Location | ||||
| Proximal colon (n=206) | 616 (513-788) | 2.08 (0.88-3.85) | 0.91 (0.61-1.50) | 2.71 (2.27-3.20) |
| Distal colon (n=298) | 592 (480-753) | 1.81 (0.88-4.04) | 0.93 (0.60-1.50) | 2.66 (2.33-3.09) |
| Rectum (n=98) | 568 (487-759) | 2.00 (1.21-3.71) | 1.10 (0.67-1.93) | 2.65 (2.26-3.10) |
| Multiple adenomas in ≥2 locations (n=131) | 638 (508-823) | 1.81 (0.75-4.46) | 1.06 (0.62-1.57) | 2.83 (2.32-3.33) |
| P value | 0.12 | 0.79 | 0.16 | 0.30 |
| Histological type | ||||
| Tubular adenoma (n=247) | 612 (494-778) | 2.00 (0.84-4.06) | 0.93 (0.60-1.59) | 2.72 (2.33-3.20) |
| Tubulovillous, villous adenoma or high-grade dysplasia (n=400) | 607 (489-786) | 1.88 (0.91-4.15) | 0.99 (0.62-1.68) | 2.67 (2.32-3.13) |
| P value | 0.91 | 0.36 | 0.35 | 0.63 |
Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein; IL-6, interleukin-6; MIC-1, macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1; sTNFR-2, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2.
a
Adenoma characteristics were missing for some cases and thus the total number of cases may not add up to 757.