Polymorphic catechol-O-methyltransferase gene and breast cancer risk.

Abstract

We examined 483 Finnish breast cancer cases and 482 population controls to determine the potential effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype in individual susceptibility to breast cancer. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression after adjustment for known or suspected risk factors for breast cancer. When studied separately by menopausal status, the COMT-L allele-containing genotypes were inversely associated with premenopausal breast cancer, especially with advanced stage of the disease (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22-0.87). Among postmenopausal women a similar decreased risk was seen for local carcinoma associated with the COMT-LL genotype (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.31-0.98). The lowest breast cancer risk was seen in the postmenopausal women with the COMT-LL genotype and low body-mass index (<or=25.4 kg/m(2); OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.83). Significantly increased risk, on the other hand, was seen for postmenopausal women with the COMT-LL genotype and long-term (>30 months) use of estrogen (OR, 4.02; 95% CI, 1.13-14.3), or with the COMT-L allele-containing genotypes and early age (<or=12 years) at menarche (OR, 8.59; 95% CI, 1.85-39.8). Our study, therefore, suggests that the COMT genotype may define a portion of the individual breast cancer susceptibility that is associated with reproductive events and hormone exposure even if it does not seem to be a major overall risk factor for this malignancy.

• Authors: K Mitrunen, N Jourenkova, V Kataja, M Eskelinen, V M Kosma, S Benhamou, D Kang, H Vainio, M Uusitupa, A Hirvonen
• Journal: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev) Vol. 10 Issue 6 Pg. 635-40 (Jun 2001) ISSN: 1055-9965 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11401913 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Catechol O-Methyltransferase

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Breast Neoplasms (etiology, genetics)
• Case-Control Studies
• Catechol O-Methyltransferase (genetics)
• Female
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Genotype
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Odds Ratio
• Polymorphism, Genetic
• Risk Factors