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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #226106
Title: Plasma Cysteinylglycine Levels and Breast Cancer Risk in Women

Author
item LIN, JENNIFER - BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL
item MANSON, JOANN - BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL
item Selhub, Jacob
item BURING, JULIE - BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL
item ZHANG, SHUMIN - BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL

Submitted to: Cancer Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/2007
Publication Date: 12/1/2007
Citation: Lin, J., Manson, J.E., Selhub, J., Buring, J.E., Zhang, S.M. 2007. Plasma Cysteinylglycine Levels and Breast Cancer Risk in Women. Cancer Research. 67:11123-11127. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.

Interpretive Summary: Cysteinylglycine is formed when glutathione breaks up. Glutathione is a very important compound in the cell which acts as natural antioxidant and therefore help the cell from being destroyed by free radicals. This study showed that in women who are not taking antioxidant vitamins a high level of cysteinylglycine is associated with increased risk of having breast cancer. This risk was also seen among those which consume high level of alcohol and obese women

Technical Abstract: Cysteinylglycine, a prooxidant generated during the catabolism of glutathione, has been suggested to induce oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, leading to the development of human cancers. Observational data relating cysteinylglycine status to breast cancer risk are lacking. We prospectively evaluated plasma cysteinylglycine levels and invasive breast cancer risk among 812 case-control pairs nested in the Women’s Health Study, a completed randomized trial evaluating low-dose aspirin and vitamin E in middle-aged and older women. We additionally evaluated the effect modification by risk factors for oxidative stress, such as vitamin E assignment, alcohol consumption, obesity, and postmenopausal hormone use. Logistic regression controlling for matching factors,as well as other risk factors for breast cancer, was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). All statistical tests were two sided. We observed no overall association between plasma cysteinylglycine and invasive breast cancer risk. However, higher cysteinylglycine levels were marginally associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in the high oxidative stress groups.Women in the highest quintile group of cysteinylglycine relative to the lowest group had multivariate RRs (95% CIs) of 1.64 (1.01–2.66; Ptrend = 0.04) in the vitamin E placebo group, 2.51 (1.01–6.24; Ptrend = 0.07) in the high alcohol intake group (z9 g/day), and 1.66 (0.97–2.84; Ptrend = 0.03) in the overweight and obese group. Our findings suggest that women who are susceptible to experiencing oxidative stress may be at a greater risk for developing breast cancer.