Urinary polyphenols and breast cancer risk: results from the Shanghai Women's Health Study.
Polyphenols, the most abundant dietary antioxidants, also possess many other anticarcinogenic activities. Urinary metabolites of polyphenols could complement dietary assessment of the bioavailability of these nutrients. We conducted a study of 353 incident breast cancer cases and 701 individually matched controls nested within the Shanghai Women's Health Study cohort of women aged 40-70 years at baseline. Liquid chromatography photo-diode array electrospray mass spectrometry was used to measure tea polyphenols (epicatechin, epigallocatechin, and their metabolites) and flavonols (e.g., quercetin and kaempferol). Multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between breast cancer risk and urinary excretion rates of polyphenols. Urinary excretion of tea polyphenols increased with increasing tea leaves consumed among controls, but not among breast cancer cases. Compared with cases, controls had higher levels of urinary total polyphenols and tea polyphenols, particularly epicatechin. In contrast, we did not find any dose-response relationship between urinary polyphenols and breast cancer risk. Urinary excretion of epicatechin was inversely associated with breast cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.59 (0.39-0.88) for the intermediate tertile]. In spline regression, we found an overall dose-response relationship between epicatechin level and risk of breast cancer, although it was not apparent in low and middle urinary excretion range. In conclusion, high epicatechin may be related to a reduced risk of breast cancer. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
Luo
Jianfeng
J
Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37203-1738, USA.
Gao
Yu-Tang
YT
Chow
Wong-Ho
WH
Shu
Xiao-Ou
XO
Li
Honglan
H
Yang
Gong
G
Cai
Qiuyin
Q
Rothman
Nathaniel
N
Cai
Hui
H
Shrubsole
Martha J
MJ
Franke
Adrian A
AA
Zheng
Wei
W
Dai
Qi
Q
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000652:urine*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010636:Phenols / Q000652:urine*; D059808:Polyphenols; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin; C057580:gallocatechol