Sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are associated with gene-specific promoter methylation in women with breast cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tobacco smoke, diet and indoor/outdoor air pollution, all major sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), have been associated with breast cancer. Aberrant methylation may be an early event in carcinogenesis, but whether PAHs influence the epigenome is unclear, particularly in breast tissue where methylation may be most relevant. We aimed to evaluate the role of methylation in the association between PAHs and breast cancer.

Methods

In a population-based case-control study, we measured promoter methylation of 13 breast cancer-related genes in breast tumor tissue (n=765-851 cases) and global methylation in peripheral blood (1055 cases/1101 controls). PAH sources (current active smoking, residential environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), vehicular traffic, synt

SUBMITTER: White AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4706465 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature