Association of COMT haplotypes and breast cancer risk in caucasian women.
Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) is an important estrogen-metabolizing enzyme, and common genetic variants in this gene could affect breast cancer risk. We conducted a large population-based case control study in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin to examine six strategically selected COMT haplotype-tagging (ht) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), including the val158met polymorphism (rs4680), in relation to breast cancer risk. Analyses were based on 1,655 Caucasian women with invasive breast cancer and 1,470 Caucasian controls. None of the six individual SNPs were associated with breast cancer risk. The global test for haplotype associations was nonsignificant (p-value=0.097), although two uncommon haplotypes present in 6% of the study population showed statistically significant inverse associations with risk. These results suggest that genetic variation in COMT has no significant association with breast cancer risk among Caucasian women.
Peterson
Neeraja B
NB
Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Suite 6108 Medical Center East, North Tower, Nashville, TN 37232-8300, USA. neeraja.peterson@vanderbilt.edu
Trentham-Dietz
Amy
A
Garcia-Closas
Montserrat
M
Newcomb
Polly A
PA
Titus-Ernstoff
Linda
L
Huang
Yifan
Y
Chanock
Stephen J
SJ
Haines
Jonathan L
JL
Egan
Kathleen M
KM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase