Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41436696›Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2025

Causal associations among albumin, C-reactive protein, body mass index, and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Xuecheng Xie, Zhigang Chen, Jian Song, Chaogang Huang, Chenglin Su, Hailong Liu, Qinyu Tian, Meng Xu, Haizhou Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Xuecheng Xie *Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, China.
Zhigang Chen *Department of General Surgery, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University(The first people's hospital of Changde city), Changde, 415000, Hunan, China.
Jian Song *Department of Oncology, Zhongshan Torch Development Zone People's Hospital, Zhongshan, 528400, Guangdong, China.
Chaogang HuangDepartment of Medical Oncology, Chenzhou No. 1 People's Hospital, Chenzhou, 424300, Hunan, China.
Chenglin SuDepartment of Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530021, China.
Hailong LiuDepartment of Medical Oncology, Chenzhou No. 1 People's Hospital, Chenzhou, 424300, Hunan, China.
Qinyu TianDepartment of Medical Oncology, Chenzhou No. 1 People's Hospital, Chenzhou, 424300, Hunan, China.
Meng XuDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, China. xumengjnu@foxmail.com.
Haizhou LiuDepartment of Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530021, China. liuhaizhou@gxmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Outstanding Young Talent Training Program of Guangxi Medical University Zhao LiSelf-funded scientific research project of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Health Committee Z-A2023075the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province 2023JJ50381
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeA Mendelian randomization model analysis was employed to investigate the causal direction between CRP (C-reactive protein), Alb(albumin), and BMI(body mass index), as well as their impact on colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and postoperative prognosis.

methodsTwo-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was conducted, with BMI set as the exposure variable and CRP, Alb, and CRC as the outcome variables, to determine if CRP and Alb mediate the causal relationship between BMI and CRC. Additionally, this relationship was examined using individual-level data from a retrospective cohort analysis of local cases, which included 374 incident cases of CRC.

resultsThe analysis of the mediating effect of Alb on BMI and CRC risk demonstrated that in European and East Asian populations, BMI had a promoting effect on CRC risk (OR: 1.1903 and 1.3243, p < 0.05). A positive causal relationship was observed between BMI and Alb, but the effect was opposite (OR: 0.8671 and 0.9283, p < 0.05). Alb exhibited a protective effect against CRC (OR: 0.8707 and 0.7157, p < 0.05). The mediating effect of CRP indicated that BMI in European and East Asian populations was associated with an increased risk of CRC (OR: 1.0013 and 1.3243, p < 0.05). BMI and CRP had a positive causal relationship, with consistent effects (OR: 1.4306 and 1.1008, p < 0.05). CRP had a weak, albeit unclear, protective effect on CRC risk (OR: European, 0.9985; p < 0.05, and East Asian, 0.9992; p > 0.05). Relative to the MR results, a high BMI and Alb, along with a low CRP, were observed to be associated with more prolonged overall survival (OS) in the retrospective cohort univariate analysis (HR: 0.89, 0.92, and 1.02, P < 0.05). After adjusting for Alb, the association between BMI and CRC overall survival remained significant (HR: 0.91, P < 0.05). However, upon adjustment for CRP, BMI was not found to be independently associated with overall survival in patients with CRC.

conclusionsThe findings of this study support that BMI and related factors have a causal association with the risk of colorectal cancer.

Indexed as

AlbuminBody mass indexColorectal cancerC-reactive proteinMediation analysis

Identifiers

PMID41436696
PMCPMC12847474

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.