No abstract

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), products of neutrophil death when exposed to certain stimuli, were first proposed as a type of response to bacterial infection in infectious diseases. Since then, extensive studies have discovered its involvement in other non-infectious inflammatory diseases including thromboembolism, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world. NET formation is closely associated with tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis in CRC. Therefore, the application of NETs in clinical practice as diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and prognostic predictors has a promising prospect. In addition, therapeutics targeting NETs are significantly efficient in halting tumor progression in preclinical cancer models, which further indicates its potential clinical utility in cancer treatment. This review focuses on the stimuli of NETosis, its pro-tumorigenic activity, and prospective clinical utility primarily in but not limited to CRC.

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC), has a link between obesity, especially visceral fat. The body roundness index (BRI) can more accurately assess body fat and visceral fat levels. It is, however, unknown whether BRI is associated with CRC risk. Methods 53,766 participants were enrolled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Analysing the corelation between BRI and CRC risk was performed using logistic regression. Stratified analyses revealed the association based on the population type. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was performed for predicting CRC risk using different anthropometric indices. Results The risk of CRC mounting apparently with elevated BRI for participants with CRC compared to normal participants (P-trend < 0.001). The association persisted even after adjusting for all covariates (P-trend = 0.017). In stratified analyses, CRC risk increased with increasing BRI, especially among those who were inactive (OR (95% CI): Q3 3.761 (2.139, 6.610), P < 0.05, Q4 5.972 (3.347, 8.470), P < 0.01), overweight (OR (95% CI): Q3 2.573 (1.012, 7.431), P < 0.05, Q4 3.318 (1.221, 9.020), P < 0.05) or obese (OR (95% CI): Q3 3.889 (1.829, 8.266), P < 0.001, Q4 4.920 (2.349, 10.308), P < 0.001). ROC curve showed that BRI had a better ability in forecasting the risk of CRC than other anthropometric indices such as body weight etc. (all P < 0.05). Conclusions CRC risk and BRI have a positive and significant relationship, particularly in inactive participants with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. It is hoped that these results will raise awareness of the importance of reducing visceral fat deposition.