Hormone metabolism genes and mammographic density in Singapore Chinese women.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Female steroid hormone levels and exogenous hormone use influence breast cancer risk. We investigated the association between genetic variation in the hormone metabolism and signaling pathway and mammographic density, a strong predictor of breast cancer risk. METHODS:We genotyped 161 SNPs in 15 hormone metabolism pathway gene regions and evaluated mammographic density in 2,038 Singapore Chinese women. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and mammographic density association. An overall pathway summary was obtained using the adaptive ranked truncated product test. RESULTS:We did not find any of the individually tested SNPs to be associated with mammographic density after a multiple testing correction. There was no evidence of an overall effect on mammographic density of genetic variation in the hormone metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS:In this cross-sectional study, genetic variation in hormone metabolism pathway was not associated with mammographic density in Singapore Chinese women. IMPACT:Consistent with existing data from Caucasian populations, polymorphisms in hormone pathway genes are not likely to be strong predictors of mammographic density in Asian women.

SUBMITTER: Lee E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4197055 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature