Affiliation:
1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Major Diseases in the Population, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China
Abstract
Findings of epidemiologic studies focusing on the association between one-carbon metabolism-related micronutrients and breast cancer risk, along with the involvement of DNA methylation, have been inconsistent and incomprehensive. We conducted a case–control study in China including 107 paired participants and comprehensively detected 12 plasma one-carbon metabolism-related micronutrients. Genomic DNA methylation was measured using an 850 K chip and differential methylation probes (DMPs) were identified. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate the associations between plasma micronutrients and the odds of breast cancer. The mediation of selected DMPs in micronutrient breast cancer associations was examined using mediation analyses. An inverse association of plasma folate, methionine cycling-related micronutrients (methionine, S-adenosylmethionine, and S-adenosylhomocysteine), and all micronutrients in the choline metabolism and enzymatic factor groups, and a positive association of methionine cycling-related cysteine with breast cancer risk were observed. Nine micronutrients (methionine, cysteine, SAM, folate, choline, betaine, P5P, vitamins B2, and B12) were related to global or probe-specific methylation levels (p < 0.05). The selected DMPs mediated the micronutrient breast cancer associations with an average mediation proportion of 36.43%. This study depicted comprehensive associations between circulating one-carbon metabolism-related micronutrients and breast cancer risk mediated by DNA methylation.
Funder
National Key R&D Program of China
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project
Subject
Food Science,Nutrition and Dietetics