title: Galactose consumption and metabolism in relation to the risk of ovarian cancer.
abstract: In a case-control study, consumption of dairy foods by 235 white women with epithelial ovarian cancer and by 239 control women, and activity of red blood cell galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (transferase) in a subset of 145 cases and 127 controls were determined. Yogurt was consumed at least monthly by 49% of cases and 36% of controls. The mean transferase activity of cases was significantly lower than that of controls. When a ratio of lactose consumption to transferase (L/T) was calculated, cases had a mean L/T of 1.17 compared with 0.98 for controls; there was a highly significant trend for increasing ovarian cancer risk with increasing L/T ratio. Lactose consumption may be a dietary risk factor and transferase a genetic risk factor for ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Harlow
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Willett
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knapp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000009:adverse effects; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007785:Lactose / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*; D010298:Parity; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D005694:UTP-Hexose-1-Phosphate Uridylyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005694:UTP-Hexose-1-Phosphate Uridylyltransferase; D007785:Lactose; D005690:Galactose