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Relationship between a wide range of alcohol consumptions, components of the insulin-like growth factor system and adiponectin

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 61, pages 221–225 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To explore the relation between a wide range of alcohol consumptions and levels of the components of insulin-like growth factor system (IGFs) and adiponectin in humans.

Design:

A cross-sectional study using controls from a case–control study on ovarian and endometrial cancer.

Settings:

The study included women hospitalized between 1999 and 2002 in Pordenone, Italy.

Subjects:

One hundred and eight cancer-free (controls) with a median age of 61 years (range 29–79 years), admitted for acute conditions unrelated to gynecologic, hormonal or metabolic disorders or diseases leading to dietary modifications.

Interventions:

Levels of IGF-I (total and free), total IGF-II, IGF-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), IGFBP-3 and adiponectin were individually measured, and their distributions across strata of alcohol consumption were tested by the Kruskal–Wallis statistic.

Results:

Median concentrations of total IGF-I were higher (P<0.01) in women reporting low (151 ng/ml) or no alcohol consumption (134 ng/ml) compared to drinkers of 12–23 g/day (103 ng/ml) or ⩾24 g/day (118 ng/ml). Median concentrations were higher (P=0.05) for IGFBP-3 in non-drinkers (2333 ng/ml) and in light drinkers (2647 ng/ml) compared to drinkers of ⩾24 g/day (2090 ng/ml). No statistically significant difference emerged for other IGFs across levels of alcohol intakes. Adiponectin was slightly lower for non-drinkers, compared to all drinkers categories.

Conclusions:

Our study suggests that alcohol consumption is related to circulating levels of components of the IGF system and adiponectin. These results may have a potential impact on the prevention of several chronic diseases.

Sponsorship:

Italian Association for Research on Cancer, Milan, Italy, and Italian League against Tumours, Milan, Italy.

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Acknowledgements

The Department of Nutritional Sciences of Toronto thanks Dr Margaret C Martini and Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL, USA for their contribution. We thank Drs Renato Talamini and Aspasia Karalis for their contribution to the study, and Mrs Luigina Mei for editorial assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Aviano Cancer Center, IRCCS, Aviano, Italy

    L Dal Maso

  2. Laboratory of General Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche ‘Mario Negri’, Milan, Italy

    C La Vecchia

  3. Istituto di Statistica Medica e Biometria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    C La Vecchia

  4. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    L S A Augustin & C W C Kendall

  5. Division of Endocrinology, Human Nutrition Research Unit, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    C S Mantzoros

  6. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France

    S Franceschi

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  1. L Dal Maso
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  2. C La Vecchia
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  3. L S A Augustin
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  4. C S Mantzoros
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  5. C W C Kendall
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  6. S Franceschi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to L Dal Maso.

Additional information

Guarantor: L Dal Maso.

Contributors: LDM drafted the manuscript with CLV and SF; LDM was responsible for statistical analyses; LSAA, CSM and CWCK were responsible for IGFs and adiponectin measurements. All authors conceived the study protocol and critically revised the manuscript.

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Dal Maso, L., La Vecchia, C., Augustin, L. et al. Relationship between a wide range of alcohol consumptions, components of the insulin-like growth factor system and adiponectin. Eur J Clin Nutr 61, 221–225 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602519

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