Nutritional Status DNA Damage and Tumor Pathology
Abstract
Genes involved in DNA damage surveillance and repair are implicated in breast cancer susceptibility and in breast tumor pathology. We will test the hypothesis that the risk for more aggressive breast cancer is increased by nutritional deficiencies of folic acid/vitamin B12 and niacin. The study population will consist of 200 women (self-report as African-American or European-American) newly diagnosed with breast cancer in South Carolina. Dietary deficiencies of folic acid and niacin have been reported in populations of low socioeconomic status, such as reside in South Carolina. The specific objectives of the research are 1) to analyze the status of folic acid/vitamin B12 and niacin and the extent of DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients and 2) to analyze the association between these variables and clinical pathology of the resected tumor. A novel assay has been developed to analyze a key metabolite of folic acid, methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHF), that is a determinant of genome stability. The levels of MTHF vary by 10-fold among patients with breast cancer. The associations among MTHF, the genes encoding the enzymes that partition MTHF, and tumor pathology is under investigation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA447516
Entities
People
- James R Hébert
- Sondra H. Berger
- Swann Adams
Organizations
- University of South Carolina