Relationships among folate, alcohol consumption, gene variants in one-carbon metabolism and p16INK4a methylation and expression in healthy breast tissues.

ABSTRACT: p16(INK4a) is a tumor suppressor gene, frequently hypermethylated in breast cancer; this epigenetic silencing of p16(INK4a) occurs early in carcinogenesis. The risk factors and functional consequences of p16(INK4a) methylation are unknown. Alcohol consumption, a breast cancer risk factor, impedes folate metabolism and may thereby alter gene methylation since folate plays a pivotal role in DNA methylation. In a cross-sectional study of 138 women with no history of breast cancer who underwent reduction mammoplasty, we studied breast cancer risk factors, plasma and breast folate concentrations, variation in one-carbon metabolism genes, p16(INK4a) promoter methylation and P16 protein expression. Logistic regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence

SUBMITTER: Llanos AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4351383 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature