The genetically predicted causal associations between circulating 3-hydroxybutyrate levels and malignant neoplasms: A pan-cancer Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

Objective

The ketogenic diet or exogenous supplementation with 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) is progressively gaining recognition as a valuable therapeutic or health intervention strategy. However, the effects of 3HB on cancers have been inconsistent in previous studies. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the causal effects of circulating 3HB levels on 120 cancer phenotypes, and explore the 3HB mediation effect between liver fat accumulation and cancers.

Methods

Univariate Mendelian randomization (UVMR) was used in this study to investigate the causal impact of circulating 3HB levels on cancers. We conducted meta-analyses for 3HB-cancer associations sourced from different exposure data. In multivariate MR(MVMR), the body mass index, alcohol frequency and diabetes were included as covariates to investigate the independent effect of 3HB on cancer risk. Additionally, utilizing mediation MR analysis, we checked the potential mediating role of 3HB in the association between liver fat and cancer.

Results

Integrating findings from UVMR and MVMR, we observed that elevated circulating 3HB levels were associated with reduced risk of developing diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL) (OR[95%CI] = 0.28[0.14–0.57] p = 3.92e-04), biliary malignancies (OR[95%CI] = 0.30[0.15–0.60], p = 7.67e-04), hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) (OR[95%CI] = 0.25[0.09–0.71], p = 9.33e-03), primary lymphoid and hematopoietic malignancies (OR[95%CI] = 0.76[0.58–0.99], p = 0.045). Further UVMR analysis revealed that an increase in the percent liver fat was associated with reduced 3HB levels (Beta[95%CI] = -0.073[-0.122∼-0.024], p = 0.0034) and enhanced susceptibility to HCC (OR[95%CI] = 13.9[9.76–19.79], p = 3.14e-48), biliary malignancies (OR[95%CI] = 4.04[3.22–5.07], p = 1.64e-33), nasopharyngeal cancer (OR[95%CI] = 3.26[1.10–9.67], p = 0.03), and primary lymphoid and hematopoietic malignancies (OR[95%CI] = 1.27[1.13–1.44], p = 1.04e-4). Furthermore, 3HB fully mediated the effect of liver fat on susceptibility to DLBCL (OR[95%CI] = 1.076[1.01–1.15], p = 0.034).

Conclusions

Circulating 3HB is associated with a reduced susceptibility to developing DLBCL, HCC, biliary malignancies, and primary lymphoid and hematopoietic malignancies. The impaired ketogenesis induced by metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) contributes to risk of DLBCL.