Genetic Polymorphisms in Vitamin D Metabolism and Signaling Genes and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Nested Case-Control Study

PLoS One. 2015 Oct 21;10(10):e0140478. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140478. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Genetic polymorphisms in vitamin D metabolism and signaling genes have been inconsistently associated with risk of breast cancer, though few studies have examined SNPs in vitamin D-related genes other than the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and particularly have not examined the association with the retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRA) gene which may be a key vitamin D pathway gene. We conducted a nested case-control study of 734 cases and 1435 individually matched controls from a population-based prospective cohort study, the Northern Sweden Mammary Screening Cohort. Tag and functional SNPs were genotyped for the VDR, cytochrome p450 24A1 (CYP24A1), and RXRA genes. We also genotyped specific SNPs in four other genes related to vitamin D metabolism and signaling (GC/VDBP, CYP2R1, DHCR7, and CYP27B1). SNPs in the CYP2R1, DHCR7, and VDBP gene regions that were associated with circulating 25(OH)D concentration in GWAS were also associated with plasma 25(OH)D in our study (p-trend <0.005). After taking into account the false discovery rate, these SNPs were not significantly associated with breast cancer risk, nor were any of the other SNPs or haplotypes in VDR, RXRA, and CYP24A1. We observed no statistically significant associations between polymorphisms or haplotypes in key vitamin D-related genes and risk of breast cancer. These results, combined with the observation in this cohort and most other prospective studies of no association of circulating 25(OH)D with breast cancer risk, do not support an association between vitamin D and breast cancer risk.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase / genetics
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / blood
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase / genetics
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cytochrome P450 Family 2
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Hydroxycholecalciferols / blood*
  • Hydroxycholecalciferols / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors / genetics
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Prospective Studies
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / genetics*
  • Retinoid X Receptor alpha / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Sweden
  • Vitamin D-Binding Protein / genetics
  • Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase / genetics

Substances

  • Hydroxycholecalciferols
  • Receptors, Calcitriol
  • Retinoid X Receptor alpha
  • Vitamin D-Binding Protein
  • Cytochrome P450 Family 2
  • CYP2R1 protein, human
  • Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase
  • CYP24A1 protein, human
  • Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase
  • 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase
  • CYP27B1 protein, human
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors
  • 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase