Dietary advanced glycation end-products and colorectal cancer risk in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC) study

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Elom K. Aglago
  • Ana Lucia Mayén
  • Viktoria Knaze
  • Heinz Freisling
  • Veronika Fedirko
  • David J. Hughes
  • Li Jiao
  • Anne Kirstine Eriksen
  • Marie Christine Boutron-Ruault
  • Joseph A. Rothwell
  • Gianluca Severi
  • Rudolf Kaaks
  • Verena Katzke
  • Matthias B. Schulze
  • Anna Birukov
  • Domenico Palli
  • Sabina Sieri
  • Maria Santucci De Magistris
  • Rosario Tumino
  • Fulvio Ricceri
  • Bas Bueno-De-Mesquita
  • Jeroen W.G. Derksen
  • Guri Skeie
  • Inger Torhild Gram
  • Torkjel Sandanger
  • J. Ramón Quirós
  • Leila Luján-Barroso
  • Maria Jose Sánchez
  • Pilar Amiano
  • María Dolores Chirlaque
  • Aurelio Barricarte Gurrea
  • Ingegerd Johansson
  • Jonas Manjer
  • Aurora Perez-Cornago
  • Elisabete Weiderpass
  • Marc J. Gunter
  • Alicia K. Heath
  • Casper G. Schalkwijk
  • Mazda Jenab

Dietary advanced glycation end-products (dAGEs) have been hypothesized to be associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) by promoting inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the colonic epithelium. However, evidence from prospective cohort studies is scarce and inconclusive. We evaluated CRC risk associated with the intake of dAGEs in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Dietary intakes of three major dAGEs: N"-carboxy-methyllysine (CML), Nԑ-carboxyethyllysine (CEL), and Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1) were estimated in 450,111 participants (median follow-up = 13 years, with 6162 CRC cases) by matching to a detailed published European food composition database. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of dAGEs with CRC were computed using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models. Inverse CRC risk associations were observed for CML (HR comparing extreme quintiles: HRQ5vs.Q1 = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.85–1.00) and MG-H1 (HRQ5vs.Q1 = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.85–1.00), but not for CEL (HRQ5vs.Q1 = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.89–1.05). The associations did not differ by sex or anatomical location of the tumor. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, our findings suggest an inverse association between dAGEs and CRC risk. More research is required to verify these findings and better differentiate the role of dAGEs from that of endogenously produced AGEs and their precursor compounds in CRC development.

Original languageEnglish
Article number3132
JournalNutrients
Volume13
Issue number9
Number of pages13
ISSN2072-6643
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

    Research areas

  • Advanced glycation end-products, Colorectal cancer, Dietary exposure, Dietary glycation compounds

ID: 286489052