Pro-Vegetarian Food Patterns and Cancer Risk among Italians from the Moli-Sani Study Cohort.

Besides the Mediterranean diet, there is a paucity of studies examining plant-based diets in relation to cancer outcomes in Mediterranean populations. We analyzed 22,081 apparently cancer-free participants (mean age 55 ± 12 year) from the Moli-sani study (enrollment period 2005-2010; Italy). A general pro-vegetarian food pattern was computed by assigning positive or negative scores to plant- or animal-derived foods, respectively from a 188-item FFQ. A priori healthful or unhealthful pro-vegetarian food patterns distinguished between healthy plant foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables) and less-healthy plant foods (e.g., fruit juices, refined grains). Cancer incidence was defined as the earliest diagnosis of cancer from hospital discharge records over a median follow-up of 12.9 years. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, a general pro-vegetarian food pattern was associated with a lower rate of cancer incidence (HR = 0.85; 95%CI 0.75-0.97 for Q5 vs. Q1); no association was observed between the healthful or unhealthful pro-vegetarian food patterns and overall cancer incidence. A healthful pro-vegetarian pattern, however, was inversely associated with digestive cancer (HR = 0.76; 95%CI 0.58-0.99 for Q5 vs. Q1), while the unhealthful pro-vegetarian pattern was directly linked to respiratory cancer (HR = 1.68; 95%CI 1.06-2.68 for Q5 vs. Q1). Our findings in a Mediterranean population support the hypothesis that some, but not all pro-vegetarian diets, might prevent some cancers.

Fibrinogen levels in relation to colorectal cancer onset: A nested case-cohort study from the Moli-sani cohort.

Background: Patients with cancer are commonly characterized by abnormalities in laboratory coagulation tests, underlying a subclinical hypercoagulable condition. Due to the involvement of the hemostatic system in cancer patients, some of its biomarkers, such as fibrinogen, could be a useful tool in predicting cancer risk. We performed a case-cohort study to evaluate the relationship among fibrinogen levels and colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: In the framework of Moli-sani Study (N = 24,325, enrolled 2005-2010) a subcohort of 1,290 individuals (55.0% women; mean age 55.0 ± 12.0 years) was selected and compared with 126 CRC cases identified during a follow-up of 4.3 years. Incident cases of colorectal cancer were ascertained by direct linkage with hospital discharge forms according to the International Classification of Disease (ICD-9-CM) codes: 153-154. Events were validated through medical records and confirmed by histological reports. Fibrinogen levels were measured in frozen citrated plasma samples. Hazard Ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusted by relevant covariates were estimated by a Cox regression model using Prentice method. Results: Individuals with levels of fibrinogen ≥400 mg/dL had a higher hazard to develop colorectal cancer when compared to those with lower levels after adjustment for sex and age (HR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.12-2.92). Additional adjustment for CRC family history, income, physical activity, diabetes medication and hypercholesterolemia did not modify the result (HR: 1.91; 95% CI 1.15-3.17). Analyses stratified by age and sex showed a most evident association in elderly (HR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.10-4.81) and in women (HR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.08-4.81). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the main findings, showing independence from a potential role of confounding by a large panel of biomarkers, including inflammation and hemostasis factors. Conclusion: Our results, based on a case-cohort study from a general adult population apparently free from any cancer during the recruitment, showed that fibrinogen levels ≥400 mg/dL were positively and independently associated with CRC, suggesting that this glycoprotein could be a potential biomarker for this type of cancer and supporting the "common soil hypothesis" in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease and tumors.

Tissue Plasminogen Activator Levels and Risk of Breast Cancer in a Case-Cohort Study on Italian Women: Results from the Moli-sani Study.

BACKGROUND: Elevated levels of key enzymes of the fibrinolytic system, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), are reported as predictors of poor outcome in cancer patients. Limited information is available about their potential predictive value for breast cancer (BC) risk in the general population. AIM: We examined the association of tPA levels with BC risk in a case-cohort study including women from the prospective Moli-sani cohort. METHODS: A sample of 710 women (mean age: 54.6 ± 12.1 years) was selected as a subcohort and compared with 84 BC cases, in a median follow-up of 4.2 years. Incident cases of BC were validated through medical records. tPA plasma levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusted for relevant covariates, were estimated by a Cox regression model using the Prentice method. RESULTS: Compared with the lowest quartile (<4.9 ng/mL), women in the highest quartile of tPA (>11.2 ng/mL) had increased risk of BC (HRIVvsI: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.13-4.28) after adjusted for age, smoking, education, menopause, and residence. Further adjustment for biochemical markers did not modify this association. The risk of BC increased by 34% for each increase in 1 standard deviation of log-transformed tPA levels (p = 0.046). Elevated levels of tPA were associated mainly with estrogen-receptor-positive BC (2.08, 95% CI: 1.18-3.66). CONCLUSION: Higher levels of tPA, reported to predict cardiovascular risk, are a potential biomarker for BC risk, supporting the hypothesis of a "common soil" linking the pathogenic mechanisms of hormone-dependent tumors and cardiovascular disease.