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Liu Q, Zhang Y, Vaselkiv JB, Mucci LA, Giovannucci EL, Platz EA, Sutcliffe S. A prospective study of birth weight and prostate cancer risk and mortality in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1295-1303. [PMID: 38388857 PMCID: PMC11015033 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02593-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have observed inconsistent associations between birth weight and aggressive prostate cancer risk. This study aimed to prospectively analyse this association in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). METHODS Birth weight was self-reported in 1994, and prostate cancer diagnoses were assessed biennially through January 2017 and confirmed by medical record review. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association between birth weight and prostate cancer risk and mortality. RESULTS Among 19,889 eligible men, 2520 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 643 with higher-grade/advanced stage, 296 with lethal, and 248 with fatal disease. Overall, no association was observed for increasing birth weight with risk of overall prostate cancer, lower-grade, and organ-confined disease. However, a borderline statistically significant positive trend was observed for increasing birth weight with risk of higher-grade and/or advanced-stage prostate cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj] per pound: 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99-1.11; P-trend = 0.08), but no associations were observed with risk of lethal or fatal disease (HRadj: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.91-1.08; P-trend = 0.83; and HRadj: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.90-1.08; P-trend = 0.82, respectively). CONCLUSION No consistent associations were observed between birth weight and prostate cancer risk or mortality in this 22-year prospective cohort study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinran Liu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jane B Vaselkiv
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lorelei A Mucci
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward L Giovannucci
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Platz
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Siobhan Sutcliffe
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery; and the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Cui H, Zhang W, Zhang L, Qu Y, Xu Z, Tan Z, Yan P, Tang M, Yang C, Wang Y, Chen L, Xiao C, Zou Y, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yang Y, Yao Y, Li J, Liu Z, Yang C, Jiang X, Zhang B. Risk factors for prostate cancer: An umbrella review of prospective observational studies and mendelian randomization analyses. PLoS Med 2024; 21:e1004362. [PMID: 38489391 PMCID: PMC10980219 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of prostate cancer is increasing in older males globally. Age, ethnicity, and family history are identified as the well-known risk factors for prostate cancer, but few modifiable factors have been firmly established. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate various factors modifying the risk of prostate cancer reported in meta-analyses of prospective observational studies and mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. METHODS AND FINDINGS We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from the inception to January 10, 2022, updated on September 9, 2023, to identify meta-analyses and MR studies on prostate cancer. Eligibility criteria for meta-analyses were (1) meta-analyses including prospective observational studies or studies that declared outcome-free at baseline; (2) evaluating the factors of any category associated with prostate cancer incidence; and (3) providing effect estimates for further data synthesis. Similar criteria were applied to MR studies. Meta-analysis was repeated using the random-effects inverse-variance model with DerSimonian-Laird method. Quality assessment was then conducted for included meta-analyses using AMSTAR-2 tool and for MR studies using STROBE-MR and assumption evaluation. Subsequent evidence grading criteria for significant associations in meta-analyses contained sample size, P values and 95% confidence intervals, 95% prediction intervals, heterogeneity, and publication bias, assigning 4 evidence grades (convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak). Significant associations in MR studies were graded as robust, probable, suggestive, or insufficient considering P values and concordance of effect directions. Finally, 92 selected from 411 meta-analyses and 64 selected from 118 MR studies were included after excluding the overlapping and outdated studies which were published earlier and contained fewer participants or fewer instrument variables for the same exposure. In total, 123 observational associations (45 significant and 78 null) and 145 causal associations (55 significant and 90 null) were categorized into lifestyle; diet and nutrition; anthropometric indices; biomarkers; clinical variables, diseases, and treatments; and environmental factors. Concerning evidence grading on significant associations, there were 5 highly suggestive, 36 suggestive, and 4 weak associations in meta-analyses, and 10 robust, 24 probable, 4 suggestive, and 17 insufficient causal associations in MR studies. Twenty-six overlapping factors between meta-analyses and MR studies were identified, with consistent significant effects found for physical activity (PA) (occupational PA in meta: OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.94; accelerator-measured PA in MR: OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.72), height (meta: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.12; MR: OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.15, for aggressive prostate cancer), and smoking (current smoking in meta: OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.80; smoking initiation in MR: OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86, 0.97). Methodological limitation is that the evidence grading criteria could be expanded by considering more indices. CONCLUSIONS In this large-scale study, we summarized the associations of various factors with prostate cancer risk and provided comparisons between observational associations by meta-analysis and genetically estimated causality by MR analyses. In the absence of convincing overlapping evidence based on the existing literature, no robust associations were identified, but some effects were observed for height, physical activity, and smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijie Cui
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenqiang Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yang Qu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhengxing Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhixin Tan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Peijing Yan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingshuang Tang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yutong Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chenghan Xiao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanqiu Zou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunjie Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Iatrical Polymer Material and Artificial Apparatus, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanfang Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuqin Yao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiayuan Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhenmi Liu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chunxia Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xia Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Systems Epidemiology, and West China-PUMC C. C. Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ben Zhang
- Hainan General Hospital and Hainan Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Strohsnitter WC, Hyer M, Bertrand KA, Cheville AL, Palmer JR, Hatch EE, Aagaard KM, Titus L, Romero IL, Huo D, Hoover RN, Troisi R. Prenatal Diethylstilbestrol Exposure and Cancer Risk in Males. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021; 30:1826-1833. [PMID: 34272263 PMCID: PMC8492497 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-21-0234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The influence of prenatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure on cancer incidence among middle-aged men has not been well-characterized. We investigated whether exposure to DES before birth impacts overall cancer risk, and risk of site-specific cancers. METHODS Men (mean age in 2016 = 62.0 years) who were or were not prenatally DES exposed were identified between 1953 and 1994 and followed for cancer primarily via questionnaire approximately every 5 years between 1994 and 2016. The overall and site-specific cancer rates of the two groups were compared using Poisson regression and proportional hazards modeling with adjustment for age. RESULTS DES exposure was not associated with either overall cancer [hazard ratio (HR), 0.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77-1.15] or total prostate cancer rates (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.68-1.33), but was inversely associated with urinary tract cancer incidence (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.23-1.00). CONCLUSIONS There was no increase in either overall or prostate cancer rates among men prenatally DES exposed relative to those unexposed. An unexpected risk reduction was observed for urinary system cancers among the exposed relative to those unexposed. These findings suggest that prenatal DES exposure is unlikely to be an important contributor to cancer development in middle-aged men. IMPACT The results of this study could lend reassurance to middle-aged men who were prenatally DES exposed that their exposure does not adversely influence their overall cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C Strohsnitter
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
| | | | | | - Andrea L Cheville
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Julie R Palmer
- Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth E Hatch
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kjersti M Aagaard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Linda Titus
- Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine
| | - Iris L Romero
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Dezheng Huo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Robert N Hoover
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rebecca Troisi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Fu BC, Chowdhury-Paulino IM, Giovannucci EL, Mucci LA. Prenatal and Perinatal Factors and Risk of Cancer in Middle and Older Adulthood among Men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021; 30:1841-1845. [PMID: 34272265 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-21-0316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal factors have been associated with risk of cancers later in life, although studies in men have largely been case-control and focused on birth size only. METHODS We used data from 5,845 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) to prospectively examine associations between several prenatal and perinatal factors and incident adult cancer risk. In 1994, mothers of participants reported information on characteristics and behaviors related to their pregnancy with their sons. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to calculate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of associations between prenatal and perinatal risk factors and cancer risk. RESULTS During 20 years of follow-up, 1,228 incident cases of overall cancer were documented. Men with a birth weight of ≥4 kg had a 21% increased risk of overall cancer (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02-1.43) compared with those with a birth weight of 2.5 to 3.9 kg. Greater weight gain during pregnancy (>13.6 kg vs. 6.8-8.6 kg) was also associated with a higher risk of overall cancer (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.02-1.46), and was stronger for men whose mothers had a prepregnancy BMI<21 kg/m2 (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.00-1.67) compared with body mass index (BMI) ≥21 kg/m2 (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.85-1.51). There was no association between maternal age and overall cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS Higher birth weight and maternal weight gain are associated with increased cancer risk in adult men. IMPACT Our findings support the hypothesis that the in utero environment plays a role in the etiology of cancer in middle and older adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Fu
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | | | - Edward L Giovannucci
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lorelei A Mucci
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Abstract
There is an established link between birth parameters and risk of adult-onset cancers. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease concept provides potential underlying mechanisms for such associations, including intrauterine exposure to endogenous hormones (androgens and estrogens), insulin-like growth factors, etc. However, there is conflicting evidence on the association between birth parameters and the cancer mortality risk. Therefore, we aimed to review and analyse the available data on the association linking birth weight and birth length with cancer mortality. Eleven studies were identified, published until April 2019. A significant association between birth weight and the prognosis of cancer (overall) was found (relative risk, RR 1.06, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.01, 1.11), with low heterogeneity (I2 = 27.7%). In addition, higher birth weight was associated with poorer prognosis of prostate cancer (RR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.44). However, the association of birth weight with breast cancer mortality risk in women was not significant (RR 1.16, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.44), which might be due to high statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 67.9%). Birth length was not associated with cancer mortality risk (RR 1.0, 95% CI: 0.90-1.11). It might be inferred that birth parameters are not associated with cancer mortality as strongly as with the risk of developing cancer. Also, the association between birth parameters and cancer mortality risk is not uniform and varies according to its subtypes, and study characteristics/design. This highlights the need for further prospective studies.
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Liu J, Au Yeung SL, He B, Kwok MK, Leung GM, Schooling CM. The effect of birth weight on body composition: Evidence from a birth cohort and a Mendelian randomization study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222141. [PMID: 31504067 PMCID: PMC6736493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lower birth weight is associated with diabetes although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Muscle mass could be a modifiable link and hence a target of intervention. We assessed the associations of birth weight with muscle and fat mass observationally in a population with little socio-economic patterning of birth weight and using Mendelian randomization (MR) for validation. METHODS In the population-representative "Children of 1997" birth cohort (n = 8,327), we used multivariable linear regression to assess the adjusted associations of birth weight (kg) with muscle mass (kg) and body fat (%) at ~17.5 years. Genetically predicted birth weight (effect size) was applied to summary genetic associations with fat-free mass and fat mass (kg) from the UK Biobank (n = ~331,000) to obtain unconfounded estimates using inverse-variance weighting. RESULTS Observationally, birth weight was positively associated with muscle mass (3.29 kg per kg birth weight, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.83 to 3.75) and body fat (1.09% per kg birth weight, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.65). Stronger associations with muscle mass were observed in boys than in girls (p for interaction 0.004). Using MR, birth weight was positively associated with fat-free mass (0.77 kg per birth weight z-score, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.33) and fat mass (0.58, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.15). No difference by sex was evident. CONCLUSION Higher birth weight increasing muscle mass may be relevant to lower birth weight increasing the risk of diabetes and suggests post-natal muscle mass as a potential target of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxi Liu
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shiu Lun Au Yeung
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Baoting He
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Man Ki Kwok
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gabriel Matthew Leung
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - C. Mary Schooling
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Zeng P, Zhou X. Causal Association Between Birth Weight and Adult Diseases: Evidence From a Mendelian Randomization Analysis. Front Genet 2019; 10:618. [PMID: 31354785 PMCID: PMC6635582 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Birth weight has a profound long-term impact on individual’s predisposition to various diseases at adulthood—a hypothesis commonly referred to as the fetal origins of adult diseases. However, it is not fully clear to what extent the fetal origins of adult diseases hypothesis holds and it is also not completely known what types of adult diseases are causally affected by birth weight. Materials and methods: Mendelian randomization using multiple genetic instruments associated with birth weight was performed to explore the causal relationship between birth weight and adult diseases. The causal relationship between birth weight and 21 adult diseases as well as 38 other complex traits was examined based on data collected from 37 large-scale genome-wide association studies with up to 340,000 individuals of European ancestry. Causal effects of birth weight were estimated using inverse-variance weighted methods. The identified causal relationships between birth weight and adult diseases were further validated through extensive sensitivity analyses, bias calculation, and simulations. Results: Among the 21 adult diseases, three were identified to be inversely causally affected by birth weight after the Bonferroni correction. The measurement unit of birth weight was defined as its standard deviation (i.e., 488 g), and one unit lower birth weight was causally related to an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and BMI-adjusted T2D, with the estimated odds ratios of 1.34 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–1.53], 1.30 (95% CI 1.13–1.51), 1.41 (95% CI 1.15–1.73), and 1.54 (95% CI 1.25–1.89), respectively. All these identified causal associations were robust across various sensitivity analyses that guard against various confounding due to pleiotropy or maternal effects as well as reverse causation. In addition, analysis on 38 additional complex traits did not identify candidate traits that may mediate the causal association between birth weight and CAD/MI/T2D. Conclusions: The results suggest that lower birth weight is causally associated with an increased risk of CAD, MI, and T2D in later life, supporting the fetal origins of adult diseases hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zeng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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8
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Liu JX, Au Yeung SL, Kwok MK, Leung JYY, Lin SL, Hui LL, Leung GM, Schooling CM. Birth weight, gestational age and late adolescent liver function using twin status as instrumental variable in a Hong Kong Chinese birth cohort: "Children of 1997". Prev Med 2018; 111:190-197. [PMID: 29545162 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Birth weight (BW) is inversely associated with diabetes and liver function in Mendelian Randomization studies. Observationally, lower BW is usually also associated with poorer liver function. However, these studies could be confounded by socioeconomic position. Here we assessed if BW is associated with liver function in a unique population with little socio-economic patterning of BW, using both instrumental variable and an observational analysis. We used instrumental variable analysis (IVA) to assess the association of BW with liver function (alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, and albumin) at ~17 years with twin status as an instrumental variable in the prospective population-representative "Children of 1997" birth cohort (n = 8327). We also conducted an observational analysis adjusted for sex, maternal age, maternal migrant status, smoking and parental socio-economic position. A generalized linear model with gamma family was used for ALT, ALP, and bilirubin because they are not normally distributed. Using IVA, BW was not associated with ALT, ALP or bilirubin, but was possibly negatively associated with albumin (-1.12 g/L, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.08 to -0.16). Observationally, BW was negatively associated with ALT (-1.23 IU/L, 95% CI -2.16 to -0.30), ALP (-1.72 IU/L, 95% CI -3.43 to -0.01) and higher albumin (-0.23 g/L, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.06). Poor liver function may be a pathway by which the risks of lower BW are actuated. This insight might help identify post-natal targets of intervention to mitigate the adverse health effects of lower birth weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xi Liu
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shiu Lun Au Yeung
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Man Ki Kwok
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - June Yue Yan Leung
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shi Lin Lin
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lai Ling Hui
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gabriel Matthew Leung
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - C Mary Schooling
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Clarke MA, Joshu CE. Early Life Exposures and Adult Cancer Risk. Epidemiol Rev 2018; 39:11-27. [PMID: 28407101 DOI: 10.1093/epirev/mxx004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Very little is known about the influence of early life exposures on adult cancer risk. The purpose of this narrative review was to summarize the epidemiologic evidence relating early life tobacco use, obesity, diet, and physical activity to adult cancer risk; describe relevant theoretical frameworks and methodological strategies for studying early life exposures; and discuss policies and research initiatives focused on early life. Our findings suggest that in utero exposures may indirectly influence cancer risk by modifying biological pathways associated with carcinogenesis; however, more research is needed to firmly establish these associations. Initiation of exposures during childhood and adolescence may impact cancer risk by increasing duration and lifetime exposure to carcinogens and/or by acting during critical developmental periods. To expand the evidence base, we encourage the use of life course frameworks, causal inference methods such as Mendelian randomization, and statistical approaches such as group-based trajectory modeling in future studies. Further, we emphasize the need for objective exposure biomarkers and valid surrogate endpoints to reduce misclassification. With the exception of tobacco use, there is insufficient evidence to support the development of new cancer prevention policies; however, we highlight existing policies that may reduce the burden of these modifiable risk factors in early life.
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dos-Santos-Silva I, Denholm R. Height and Risk of Adult Cancers: a Review. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40471-016-0084-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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