Possible association of beta2- and beta3-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
The involvement of beta2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) and beta3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) in both adipocyte lipolysis and thermogenic activity suggests that polymorphisms in the encoding genes might be linked with interindividual variation in obesity, an important risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer. In order to examine the hypothesis that genetic variations in ADRB2 and ADRB3 represent interindividual susceptibility factors for obesity and breast cancer, we conducted a hospital-based, case-control study in the Aichi Cancer Center, Japan.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was given to 200 breast cancer patients and 182 control individuals, and pertinent information on lifestyle, family history and reproduction was collected. ADRB2 and ADRB3 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism assessment.


RESULTS
Twenty-five (12.4%) breast cancer patients and 32 (17.6%) control individuals were found to bear a glutamic acid (Glu) allele for the ADRB2 gene (odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-1.18), and 60 (30.0%) breast cancer patients and 61 (33.5%) control individuals were found to bear an Arg allele for the ADRB3 gene (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.55-1.31). A significantly lower risk was observed in those who carried the Glu ADRB2 allele and who reported first childbirth when they were younger than 25 years (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.13-0.99).


CONCLUSIONS
A potential association may exist between risk of breast cancer and polymorphisms in the ADRB2 and ADRB3 genes; further studies in larger samples and/or in different ethnic groups are warranted to investigate this potential association.
Huang
X E
XE
Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan.
Hamajima
N
N
Saito
T
T
Matsuo
K
K
Mizutani
M
M
Iwata
H
H
Iwase
T
T
Miura
S
S
Mizuno
T
T
Tokudome
S
S
Tajima
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3 / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3