Exposure to Bovine Leukemia Virus Is Associated with Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Age, reproductive history, hormones, genetics, and lifestyle are known risk factors for breast cancer, but the agents that initiate cellular changes from normal to malignant are not understood. We previously detected bovine leukemia virus (BLV), a common oncogenic virus of cattle, in the breast epithelium of humans. The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of BLV DNA in human mammary epithelium is associated with breast cancer.

Methods

This was a case-control study of archival formalin fixed paraffin embedded breast tissues from 239 donors, received 2002-2008 from the Cooperative Human Tissue Network. Case definition as breast cancer versus normal (women with no history of breast cancer) was established through medical records and examinat

SUBMITTER: Buehring GC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4557937 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature