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Polymorphisms in genes of melatonin biosynthesis and signaling support the light-at-night hypothesis for breast cancer

  • Katharina Wichert
  • , Reiner Hoppe
  • , Katja Ickstadt
  • , Thomas Behrens
  • , Stefan Winter
  • , Robert Herold
  • , Claudia Terschüren
  • , Wing Yee Lo
  • , Pascal Guénel
  • , Thérèse Truong
  • , Manjeet K. Bolla
  • , Qin Wang
  • , Joe Dennis
  • , Kyriaki Michailidou
  • , Michael Lush
  • , Irene L. Andrulis
  • , Hermann Brenner
  • , Jenny Chang-Claude
  • , Angela Cox
  • , Simon S. Cross
  • Kamila Czene, Mikael Eriksson, Jonine D. Figueroa, Montserrat García-Closas, Mark S. Goldberg, Ute Hamann, Wei He, Bernd Holleczek, John L. Hopper, Anna Jakubowska, Yon Dschun Ko, Jan Lubiński, Anna Marie Mulligan, Nadia Obi, Valerie Rhenius, Mitul Shah, Xiao Ou Shu, Jacques Simard, Melissa C. Southey, Wei Zheng, Alison M. Dunning, Paul D.P. Pharoah, Per Hall, Douglas F. Easton, Thomas Brüning, Hiltrud Brauch, Volker Harth, Sylvia Rabstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Light-at-night triggers the decline of pineal gland melatonin biosynthesis and secretion and is an IARC-classified probable breast-cancer risk factor. We applied a large-scale molecular epidemiology approach to shed light on the putative role of melatonin in breast cancer. We investigated associations between breast-cancer risk and polymorphisms at genes of melatonin biosynthesis/signaling using a study population of 44,405 women from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (22,992 cases, 21,413 population-based controls). Genotype data of 97 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 18 defined gene regions were investigated for breast-cancer risk effects. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) by logistic regression for the main-effect analysis as well as stratified analyses by estrogen- and progesterone-receptor (ER, PR) status. SNP-SNP interactions were analyzed via a two-step procedure based on logic regression. The Bayesian false-discovery probability (BFDP) was used for all analyses to account for multiple testing. Noteworthy associations (BFDP < 0.8) included 10 linked SNPs in tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) (e.g. rs1386492: OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.12), and a SNP in the mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8) (rs10857561: OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.18). The SNP-SNP interaction analysis revealed noteworthy interaction terms with TPH2- and MAPK-related SNPs (e.g. rs1386483R ∧ rs1473473D ∧ rs3729931D: OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.09–1.32). In line with the light-at-night hypothesis that links shift work with elevated breast-cancer risks our results point to SNPs in TPH2 and MAPK-genes that may impact the intricate network of circadian regulation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1053-1068
Number of pages16
JournalEuropean Journal of Epidemiology
Volume38
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

  • Circadian rhythm
  • MAPK8
  • Serotonin biosynthesis
  • Shift work
  • TPH2

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