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Table 3 Associations between inflammatory biomarkers and breast cancer risk overall and according to menopausal status at blood collection

From: Circulating inflammatory biomarkers, adipokines and breast cancer risk—a case-control study nested within the EPIC cohort

  

Menopausal status at blood collection

 

Biomarkers

Models

All women

N cases/controls=1558/1558

ORa (95% CI)

Premenopausal women

N cases/controls=413/413

ORa (95% CI)

Perimenopausal women

N cases/controls=307/307

ORa (95% CI)

Postmenopausal women

N cases/controls=838/838

ORa (95% CI)

Phomogeneityc

Phomogeneityd

Adiponectin

  

 Unadjusted

1.03 (0.95–1.12)

1.10 (0.93–1.30)

0.92 (0.74–1.13)

1.04 (0.93–1.16)

0.42

0.59

 Adjusted for BMI

1.06 (0.98–1.16)

1.11 (0.93–1.32)

0.92 (0.74–1.15)

1.09 (0.97–1.22)

0.37

0.91

 Fully-adjustedb

1.06 (0.97–1.16)

1.12 (0.93–1.35)

0.89 (0.70– 1.12)

1.09 (0.97–1.23)

0.25

0.83

Leptin

 Unadjusted

1.05 (0.98–1.13)

0.89 (0.77–1.03)

1.00 (0.85 - 1.18)

1.16 (1.05–1.29)

0.01

<0.01

 Adjusted for BMI

0.99 (0.90–1.08)

0.83 (0.68–1.00)

0.97 (0.79–1.19)

1.09 (0.96–1.24)

0.06

0.02

 Fully-adjustedb

0.98 (0.89–1.08)

0.82 (0.67–1.01)

1.02 (0.82–1.27)

1.06 (0.92–1.21)

0.12

0.04

Leptin to adiponectin

 Unadjusted

1.03 (0.96–1.11)

0.88 (0.76–1.01)

1.03 (0.87–1.21)

1.11 (1.01–1.23)

0.03

0.01

 Adjusted for BMI

0.96 (0.87–1.05)

0.80 (0.66–0.97)

1.01 (0.81–1.25)

1.02 (0.89–1.16)

0.12

0.05

 Fully-adjustedb

0.95 (0.86–1.05)

0.80 (0.65–0.98)

1.08 (0.86–1.35)

0.99 (0.87–1.13)

0.11

0.08

CRP

 Unadjusted

1.01 (0.93–1.09)

0.87 (0.75–1.01)

0.99 (0.84–1.17)

1.10 (0.99–1.22)

0.04

0.01

 Adjusted for BMI

0.97 (0.89–1.05)

0.85 (0.72–1.00)

0.97 (0.81–1.17)

1.04 (0.92–1.16)

0.15

0.05

 Fully-adjustedb

0.97 (0.89–1.06)

0.83 (0.70–0.98)

0.98 (0.80–1.20)

1.04 (0.92–1.17)

0.10

0.03

TNF-α

 Unadjusted

1.06 (0.97–1.16)

0.98 (0.82–1.18)

0.98 (0.81–1.18)

1.15 (1.01–1.31)

0.26

0.17

 Adjusted for BMI

1.05 (0.95–1.15)

0.98 (0.82–1.18)

0.97 (0.81–1.17)

1.12 (0.98–1.28)

0.36

0.25

 Fully-adjustedb

1.05 (0.95–1.15)

1.02 (0.84–1.23)

0.90 (0.74–1.11)

1.11 (0.96–1.27)

0.26

0.49

IFN-γ

 Unadjusted

0.97 (0.90–1.05)

0.94 (0.83–1.07)

0.89 (0.74–1.06)

1.02 (0.92 - 1.13)

0.35

0.34

 Adjusted for BMI

0.97 (0.90–1.05)

0.94 (0.83–1.07)

0.88 (0.73–1.06)

1.02 (0.92–1.13)

0.32

0.34

 Fully-adjustedb

0.98 (0.91–1.05)

0.94 (0.82–1.08)

0.88 (0.72–1.06)

1.04 (0.93–1.15)

0.26

0.28

IL-6

 Unadjusted

1.02 (0.94–1.11)

1.01 (0.87–1.17)

0.96 (0.80–1.16)

1.05 (0.94–1.18)

0.70

0.63

 Adjusted for BMI

0.99 (0.91–1.08)

1.01 (0.86–1.16)

0.95 (0.78–1.15)

1.00 (0.89–1.13)

0.87

0.96

 Fully-adjustedb

0.98 (0.90–1.07)

0.99 (0.84–1.16)

0.93 (0.75–1.14)

1.02 (0.90–1.15)

0.76

0.80

IL-8

 Unadjusted

0.96 (0.88–1.06)

1.15 (0.96–1.38)

0.96 (0.78–1.19)

0.89 (0.79–1.01)

0.08

0.02

 Adjusted for BMI

0.97 (0.88–1.06)

1.15 (0.96–1.38)

0.96 (0.78–1.19)

0.90 (0.80–1.02)

0.09

0.03

 Fully-adjustedb

0.96 (0.88–1.06)

1.18 (0.97–1.44)

0.97 (0.77–1.21)

0.90 (0.79–1.02)

0.08

0.02

IL-10

 Unadjusted

1.04 (0.96–1.12)

1.12 (0.96–1.30)

0.89 (0.74–1.06)

1.05 (0.95–1.16)

0.14

0.52

 Adjusted for BMI

1.04 (0.97–1.12)

1.12 (0.96–1.30)

0.89 (0.74–1.06)

1.06 (0.96–1.18)

0.14

0.60

 Fully-adjustedb

1.05 (0.97–1.13)

1.20 (1.03–1.41)

0.84 (0.69–1.02)

1.09 (0.98–1.21)

0.02

0.31

IL-1RA

 Unadjusted

1.07 (0.99–1.16)

0.97 (0.82–1.14)

1.17 (0.97–1.40)

1.09 (0.98–1.21)

0.31

0.25

 Adjusted for BMI

1.04 (0.96–1.14)

0.97 (0.80–1.16)

1.17 (0.97–1.41)

1.03 (0.92–1.15)

0.35

0.58

 Fully-adjustedb

1.04 (0.96–1.14)

0.94 (0.77–1.14)

1.18 (0.96–1.45)

1.03 (0.92–1.16)

0.29

0.42

IL-17D

 Unadjusted

0.93 (0.86–1.01)

0.94 (0.81–1.08)

0.98 (0.83–1.14)

0.90 (0.80–1.02)

0.74

0.70

 Adjusted for BMI

0.94 (0.86–1.02)

0.94 (0.81–1.08)

0.98 (0.83–1.15)

0.92 (0.81–1.04)

0.82

0.83

 Fully-adjusteda

0.94 (0.86–1.02)

0.93 (0.80–1.09)

1.01 (0.86–1.20)

0.92 (0.81–1.05)

0.64

0.88

IL-13

 Unadjusted

0.92 (0.76–1.11)

1.22 (0.82–1.81)

0.69 (0.45–1.04)

0.91 (0.71–1.18)

0.14

0.22

 Adjusted for BMI

0.93 (0.77–1.12)

1.22 (0.82–1.81)

0.68 (0.45–1.04)

0.93 (0.72–1.21)

0.14

0.26

 Fully-adjustedb

0.93 (0.77–1.13)

1.20 (0.79–1.83)

0.68 (0.43–1.05)

0.98 (0.75–1.27)

0.17

0.42

  1. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; CRP, c-reactive protein; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; OR, odd ratio; SD, standard deviation; RA: receptor antagonist; TNF, tumour necrosis factor
  2. aORs were estimated per 1 SD increase in log-transformed biomarkers concentrations, from logistic regression conditioned on matching variables. For IL-13, ORs were estimated for levels >LOQ compared to <LOQ
  3. b Fully adjusted models included educational level, body mass index, height, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, age at menarche, age at first full-term pregnancy and parity, ever breastfeed, ever use of contraceptive pills and ever use of menopausal hormonal therapy. Categories used are those displayed in Table 1
  4. cEffect modification was calculated by premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women
  5. dEffect modification was calculated by premenopausal and postmenopausal women