Epigenome-wide association study of breast cancer using prospectively collected sister study samples.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies have suggested DNA methylation in blood is a potential epigenetic marker of cancer risk, but this has not been evaluated on a genome-wide scale in prospective studies for breast cancer.

Methods

We measured DNA methylation at 27578 CpGs in blood samples from 298 women who developed breast cancer 0 to 5 years after enrollment in the Sister Study cohort and compared them with a random sample of 612 cohort women who remained cancer free. We also genotyped women for nine common polymorphisms associated with breast cancer.

Results

We identified 250 differentially methylated CpGs (dmCpGs) between case subjects and noncase subjects (false discovery rate [FDR] Q < 0.05). Of these dmCpGs, 75.2% were undermethylated in case subjects relative to noncas

SUBMITTER: Xu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3653821 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature