Associations of Serum Isoflavone, Adiponectin and Insulin Levels with Risk for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Results of a Case-control Study

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> The aim of this study was to examine the association of serum isoflavones, adiponectin, andinsulin levels with ovarian cancer risk. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: We gathered cases with histologically confirmedepithelial ovarian cancer at Sapporo Medical University Hospital from October 2010 to September 2012.Potential controls were recruited from female inpatients without any history of cancer or diabetes mellitus indifferent wards of the same hospital over the same period of time. Serum isoflavones, adiponectin, and insulinlevels were measured in order to estimate associations with ovarian cancer risk in a case-control study. Datafrom 71 cases and 80 controls were analyzed with a logistic regression model adjusting for known risk factors.<br/><b>Results</b>: A significant reduction in ovarian cancer risk was observed for the high tertile of serum daidzein levelversus the low (Ptrend<0.001). A significant reduction in ovarian cancer risk was also observed for the high tertileof serum glycitein level versus the low (Ptrend=0.005). Furthermore, a significant reduction in ovarian cancerrisk was observed for the high tertile of serum adiponectin level versus the low (Ptrend=0.004). Conversely,serum insulin level showed significantly elevated risk for ovarian cancer with the high tertile versus the lowPtrend<0.001). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Decreased serum isoflavones levels, such as those for daidzein and glycitein, decreasedserum adiponectin levels, and increased serum insulin levels could be shown to be associated with elevated riskof ovarian cancer.