Serum transforming growth factor- β 1 levels and pancreatic cancer risk: a nested case–control study (Japan)

Objective To examine the relationship of baseline levels of serum TGF-β1 to the subsequent risk of death from pancreatic cancer in a nested case–control study. Methods The cases were 85 persons who had provided a blood sample at baseline and subsequently died of pancreatic cancer during the study period. For each case, three controls were randomly selected from among the cohort participants, and were matched for each case by sex, age (±1 year), and study area. Serum TGF-β1 levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated from conditional logistic models. Results The mean of serum TGF-β1 levels was significantly higher among cases than among controls ( p = 0.01). Individuals with serum TGF-β1 levels in the highest quartile had a 2.5-fold increase in risk as compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 0.9–6.9), after adjustment for month of blood draw, cigarette smoking, body mass index and history of diabetes. Excluding 12 pancreatic cancer deaths that occurred within three years of follow-up did not alter the positive association. Conclusion Our prospective data indicate that high serum TGF-β1 levels may be associated with an increased risk of death from pancreatic cancer.