Genetic determinants and clinical significance of circulating and tumor-specific levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) in a Swedish breast cancer cohort

Previous research indicates that insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) protein levels in breast cancer tissue and blood are prognostic. However, genetic determinants of IGFBP7 in breast cancer remain largely unexplored. We examined IGFBP7 in a cohort of 1701 patients with a first breast cancer from Sweden, enrolled prior to surgery 2002–2016 and followed for up to 15 years. Genotyping was performed on blood samples using OncoArray. Tumor-specific protein levels of IGFBP7, insulin receptor (InsR), and IGF-I receptor (IGFIR) were assessed on tumor tissue microarrays in 964 patients. Further, 275 patients had plasma IGFBP7 levels measured. A genetic proxy marker for circulating IGFBP7 levels was constructed from five candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs6852762, rs1714014, rs9992658, rs10004910, and rs4865180) based on number of recessive genotypes. Age-adjusted linear regression was used to evaluate SNPs and tumor-specific IGFBP7 levels in relation to circulating IGFBP7 levels. Cox regression adjusted for age, tumor characteristics, and adjuvant treatments was used to assess associations with clinical outcomes. Circulating and tumor-specific IGFBP7 levels were significantly positively correlated. High circulating and genetically predicted IGFBP7 levels were associated with increased risk for distant metastasis and all-cause mortality. A significant interaction between high tumor-specific IGFBP7 levels and membrane-bound InsR resulted in a four-fold increased risk of breast cancer events and distant metastases. Both measured and genetically predicted IGFBP7 levels were independent prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer.