Skip to main content

Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hair, BY; Troester, MA; Edmiston, SN; Parrish, EA; Robinson, WR; Wu, MC; Olshan, AF; Swift-Scanlan, T; Conway, K
Published in: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev
March 2015

BACKGROUND: Although obesity is associated with breast cancer incidence and prognosis, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Identification of obesity-associated epigenetic changes in breast tissue may advance mechanistic understanding of breast cancer initiation and progression. The goal of this study, therefore, was to investigate associations between obesity and gene methylation in breast tumors. METHODS: Using the Illumina GoldenGate Cancer I Panel, we estimated the association between body mass index (BMI) and gene methylation in 345 breast tumor samples from phase I of the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, a population-based case-control study. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify sites that were differentially methylated by BMI. Stratification by tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status was also conducted. RESULTS: In the majority of the 935 probes analyzed (87%), the average beta value increased with obesity (BMI ≥ 30). Obesity was significantly associated with differential methylation (FDR q < 0.05) in just two gene loci in breast tumor tissue overall and in 21 loci among ER-positive tumors. Obesity was associated with methylation of genes that function in immune response, cell growth, and DNA repair. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with altered methylation overall, and with hypermethylation among ER-positive tumors in particular, suggesting that obesity may influence the methylation of genes with known relevance to cancer. Some of these differences in methylation by obese status may influence levels of gene expression within breast cells. IMPACT: If our results are validated, obesity-associated methylation sites could serve as targets for prevention and treatment research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(3); 580-6. ©2015 AACR.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev

DOI

EISSN

1538-7755

Publication Date

March 2015

Volume

24

Issue

3

Start / End Page

580 / 586

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Prognosis
  • Obesity
  • Middle Aged
  • Humans
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Female
  • Epidemiology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Hair, B. Y., Troester, M. A., Edmiston, S. N., Parrish, E. A., Robinson, W. R., Wu, M. C., … Conway, K. (2015). Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 24(3), 580–586. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-1017
Hair, Brionna Y., Melissa A. Troester, Sharon N. Edmiston, Eloise A. Parrish, Whitney R. Robinson, Michael C. Wu, Andrew F. Olshan, Theresa Swift-Scanlan, and Kathleen Conway. “Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 24, no. 3 (March 2015): 580–86. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-1017.
Hair BY, Troester MA, Edmiston SN, Parrish EA, Robinson WR, Wu MC, et al. Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015 Mar;24(3):580–6.
Hair, Brionna Y., et al. “Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, vol. 24, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 580–86. Pubmed, doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-1017.
Hair BY, Troester MA, Edmiston SN, Parrish EA, Robinson WR, Wu MC, Olshan AF, Swift-Scanlan T, Conway K. Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015 Mar;24(3):580–586.

Published In

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev

DOI

EISSN

1538-7755

Publication Date

March 2015

Volume

24

Issue

3

Start / End Page

580 / 586

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Prognosis
  • Obesity
  • Middle Aged
  • Humans
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Female
  • Epidemiology