Pre-diagnostic plasma advanced glycation end-products and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products and mortality in colorectal cancer patients

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), formed endogenously or obtained exogenously from diet, may contribute to chronic inflammation, intracellular signaling alterations, and pathogenesis of several chronic diseases including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of AGEs in CRC survival is less known. The associations of pre-diagnostic circulating AGEs and their soluble receptor (sRAGE) with CRC-specific and overall mortality were estimated using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression among 1369 CRC cases in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Concentrations of major plasma AGEs, Nε-[carboxy-methyl]lysine (CML), Nε-[carboxy-ethyl]lysine (CEL) and Nδ-[5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl]-ornithine (MG-H1), were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry. sRAGE was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Over a mean follow-up period of 96 months, 693 deaths occurred of which 541 were due to CRC. Individual and combined AGEs were not statistically significantly associated with CRC-specific or overall mortality. However, there was a possible interaction by sex for CEL (Pinteraction =.05). Participants with higher sRAGE had a higher risk of dying from CRC (HRQ5vs.Q1 = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.21–2.30, Ptrend =.02) or any cause (HRQ5vs.Q1 = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.05–1.83, Ptrend =.09). These associations tended to be stronger among cases with diabetes (Pinteraction =.03) and pre-diabetes (Pinteraction <.01) before CRC diagnosis. Pre-diagnostic AGEs were not associated with CRC-specific and overall mortality in individuals with CRC. However, a positive association was observed for sRAGE. Our findings may stimulate further research on the role of AGEs and sRAGE in survival among cancer patients with special emphasis on potential effect modifications by sex and diabetes.