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- Bergman, Malin, 1967-
(författare)
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Genetic polymorphism and breast cancer risk in young women
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in the western world. Although the disease is rare in young women, it is one of the main causes of death at young age. The early onset breast cancer has demonstrated more aggressive pathological features than the late onset disease. These observations have raised the hypothesis that the biological background may differ between age categories.Breast carcinogenesis is a micro-evolutionary process that requires accumulation of DNA-damage and other epigenetic changes that promote cell survival and proliferation. The complexity of the disease makes it difficult to identify specific risk factors. Nevertheless, a large and compelling body of epidemiological and experimental data suggests that the cumulative dose of oestrogen is one key factor in the aetiology. Also, substantial data indicates that oxidative stress, from phosphorylation or other metabolic processes, is involved in the development of breast cancer. In young women, there is a strong genetic influence of breast cancer risk and beside mutations in highly penetrant genes, polymorphisms in a number of crucial genes may modify an individual's risk. Such modifier genes, associated with a more modest risk and high prevalence in the population, may contribute to a large proportion of the disease in the population. Identification of such predisposing polymorphisms may be an important step forward in identifiying individuals at risk. In the present thesis genetic polymorphisms in four different genes and their relation to early onset breast cancer, were analysed.In the first study, a polymorphism with a TaqI restriction site in the vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) gene was studied. VDR and its ligand, 1,25(OH)2D3, have been suggested to be important factors for differentiation of the breast epithelium and may suppress mammary tumorigenesis. The presence of a TaqI restriction site has been shown to correlate with increased transcriptional activity and mRNA stability of VDR, as well as high serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 and this high receptor activity may be protective against breast cancer. In the present study VDR TaqI polymorphism did not predict risk of early onset breast cancer. However, the results indicate an association between lymph node metastasis and genotype. In the second study, a promoter polymorphism in the CYP17 gene, which may influence the oestrogen synthesis, has been analysed. The polymorphism was correlated to the risk of early onset breast cancer, and the risk increased in a dose dependent manner. The fmdings indicated also a trend for risk allele carriers to have ER-negative and large tumours. Oestrogens are metabolized to potentially carcinogenic catecholoestrogens, which could be inactivated by and O-methylation, catalysed by Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). This gene contains a variant which encode for a protein with decreased activity and is therefore predicted to be a risk allele. In the third study, the investigation of allele frequencies of the polymorphic COMT gene did not show any epidemiological evidences of implication in breast cancer. Finally; increasing numbers of studies indicate an important role for MnSOD in a number of cancer cell types. A genetic variant of MnSOD results in a less efficient transport into the mitochondria which may lead to an insufficient scavenging of free radicals. In this study, the mitochondrial targeting polymorphism was associated with risk of breast cancer in young women.In conclusion, genetic polymorphism in crucial genes may have impact on the risk of early onset breast cancer. Furthermore, some genotypes seems to influences the progression and outcome of the disease.
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- Jernström, Helena
(författare)
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Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Endogenous Hormones, Body Constitution, and Breast Epithelium in Healthy, Young Women
- 1996
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis concerns the effects of low-dose oral contraceptives (OCs) on endogenous hormones, insulin-like growth-factor-1 (IGF-1), sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and body constitution in two groups of healthy women aged 1925 who had never been pregnant. Prolactin concentrations were elevated in a subgroup of present and former users. IGF-1 concentrations were significantly decreased during menstrual cycle days 1823 in present OC users compared with never users, while no effect was seen during cycle days 510. Former users had significantly higher follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations than never users. This rebound-like phenomenon peaked one year after cessation of use. High FSH concentrations could increase the number of ovulations and thereby the ovarian cancer risk, especially among intermittent users who may experience repeated rebound peaks. Among present and former users SHBG concentrations were significantly correlated with reported weight gain in connection with OC start. SHBG was not related to the same hormonal and constitutional parameters in former users as in never users. Breast size was significantly larger in present users than in former and never users, and approximately half of the ever users reported breast tenderness or enlargement in connection with OC start. Breast epithelial proliferation rate was studied by means of a new monoclonal antibody, Ki-S5, in 58 women who had undergone reduction mammoplasties and who were born 1940 or later. There was no significant difference in breast tissue proliferation between present, former and never users. Women who had used OCs before the first full-term pregnancy had a significantly higher proliferation rate in the breast tissue than other women, regardless of present OC status. Women who used exogenous hormones and who had a first and/or second degree relative relative with breast cancer had a significantly higher proliferation rate in the breast tissue than other women. A high proliferation rate may increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
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| 6. |
- Jernström, Helena
(författare)
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IGF1 and IGFBP3 polymorphisms and plasma levels in women
- 2009
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 1538-7755. ; 18:10, s. 2797-2797
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Comment on: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Mar;18(3):954-66.
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