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Myeloperoxidase-positive cell infiltration of normal colorectal mucosa is related to body fatness and is predictive of adenoma occurrence

International Journal of Obesity volume 41, pages 982–985 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Body fatness is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, and promotes an inflammatory environment. Indeed, inflammation in normal colorectal mucosa may be a factor linking body fatness to colorectal carcinogenesis. In this study, we evaluated myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive cells infiltration of normal colorectal mucosa as a marker of cancer-promoting inflammation in overweight and obese subjects. One hundred and three subjects with normal colonoscopy entered the study. Waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) were measured, and MPO-positive cells on histological sections of biopsies of normal colorectal mucosa were counted under a light microscope. The occurrence of adenomas was then evaluated on follow-up colonoscopies. Mean MPO-positive cell count (±s.e.m.) was higher in subject with a WC equal or above the obesity cutoff values according to gender (2.63±0.20 vs 2.06±0.18, P=0.03), and in subjects with BMI equal or above 25 kg m−2 (2.54±0.18 vs 1.97±0.20, P=0.03). A Cox proportional hazard model showed that mean MPO-positive cell count in normal colorectal mucosa was the only factor independently related to occurrence of adenomas in follow-up colonoscopies. Though preliminary, these results show that MPO-positive cell infiltration in normal colorectal mucosa is related with body fatness, as evaluated by WC and BMI, and it may be considered a useful and simple marker to estimate adenoma occurrence risk.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Associazione per la Ricerca sui Tumori Intestinali (ARTI) for the support given to the study.

Author contributions

FM contributed to the conception and design of the study, patient recruitment, collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, drafting of the article and critical revision of the manuscript; VB, AB and AM contributed to patient recruitment and data collection; MP, GR, SM and PS contributed to critical revision of manuscript; PB contributed to statistical analyses; and LR contributed to conception and design of the study, analysis and interpretation of the data, and final approval of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine and Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico, Modena, Italy

    F Mariani, M Pedroni, G Rossi, S Mancini, P Benatti & L Roncucci

  2. Department of Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Medical Specialties, Endoscopy Unit, Policlinico, Modena, Italy

    V Boarino, A Bertani & A Merighi

  3. Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Section of Human Morphology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico, Modena, Italy

    P Sena

Authors
  1. F Mariani
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  2. V Boarino
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  3. A Bertani
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  4. A Merighi
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  5. M Pedroni
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  6. G Rossi
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  7. S Mancini
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  8. P Sena
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  9. P Benatti
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  10. L Roncucci
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F Mariani.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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Mariani, F., Boarino, V., Bertani, A. et al. Myeloperoxidase-positive cell infiltration of normal colorectal mucosa is related to body fatness and is predictive of adenoma occurrence. Int J Obes 41, 982–985 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.80

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.80

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