Cholesterol, Lipoproteins, and Breast Cancer Risk in African American Women

Overview

Journal Ethn Dis

Specialties Public Health
Social Sciences

Date 2012 Aug 9

PMID 22870570

Citations 23

Authors

Adana A Llanos

Kepher H Makambi

Cynthia A Tucker

Sherrie Flynt Wallington

Peter G Shields

Lucile L Adams-Campbell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Lipid levels, including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides, have been reported to be associated with breast cancer risk.

Methods: We studied African American women (97 breast cancer cases and 102 controls) accrued through a population-based, case-control study in the Washington, DC metropolitan area during 1997 and 1998. Plasma lipid levels were measured using enzymatic methods. Logistic regressions (adjusted for age, age at menarche, parity, previous alcohol consumption, and education) were used to explore the associations between lipid levels and breast cancer.

Results: Through multivariable-adjusted regression, we observed a significant inverse association between breast cancer risk and increasing levels of total cholesterol (OR=.46, 95% Cl = .25-.85) and LDL (OR = .41, 95% CI = .21-.81), whereas lower levels of HDL were associated with a significant increase in risk (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.06-3.74).

Conclusions: Our data demonstrate significant reductions in breast cancer risk with high levels of total cholesterol and significant increase in risk when HDL levels are low. These data are in support of a protective effect of cholesterol which has been reported in other populations; further, these findings add to the literature in an understudied population, African American women.

Citing Articles

Lipid metabolic reprograming: the unsung hero in breast cancer progression and tumor microenvironment.

Wan M, Pan S, Shan B, Diao H, Jin H, Wang Z Mol Cancer. 2025; 24(1):61.

PMID: 40025508 PMC: 11874147. DOI: 10.1186/s12943-025-02258-1.

The role of gene polymorphisms in lung adenocarcinoma susceptibility and lipid profile.

Bi H, Ren D, Wang Y, Wang H, Zhang C Front Immunol. 2025; 15:1522761.

PMID: 39763652 PMC: 11701022. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1522761.

Exposure to air pollutants and breast cancer risk: mediating effects of metabolic health biomarkers in a nested case-control study within the E3N-Generations cohort.

Mercoeur B, Fervers B, Coudon T, Noh H, Giampiccolo C, Grassot L Breast Cancer Res. 2024; 26(1):159.

PMID: 39548533 PMC: 11568591. DOI: 10.1186/s13058-024-01913-7.

Serum Direct Bilirubin as a Biomarker for Breast Cancer.

Hu J, Cai Y, Chen Y, Zhu X Breast Cancer (Dove Med Press). 2024; 16:735-743.

PMID: 39530054 PMC: 11552383. DOI: 10.2147/BCTT.S491523.

Association between remnant cholesterol and the risk of 4 site-specific cancers: evidence from a cross-sectional and Mendelian randomization study.

Li M, Liu Q, Shi M, Fu M, He G Lipids Health Dis. 2024; 23(1):256.

PMID: 39164739 PMC: 11334515. DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02241-7.

References

Agurs-Collins T, Adams-Campbell L, Kim K, Cullen K . Insulin-like growth factor-1 and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal African-American women. Cancer Detect Prev. 2000; 24(3):199-206. View

Haddy N, Sass C, Droesch S, Zaiou M, Siest G, Ponthieux A . IL-6, TNF-alpha and atherosclerosis risk indicators in a healthy family population: the STANISLAS cohort. Atherosclerosis. 2003; 170(2):277-83. DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9150(03)00287-9. View

Chang S, Hou M, Tsai S, Wu S, Hou L, Ma H . The association between lipid profiles and breast cancer among Taiwanese women. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2007; 45(9):1219-23. DOI: 10.1515/CCLM.2007.263. View

Baglietto L, English D, Hopper J, Morris H, Tilley W, Giles G . Circulating insulin-like growth factor-I and binding protein-3 and the risk of breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007; 16(4):763-8. DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0960. View

Moorman P, Hulka B, Hiatt R, Krieger N, Newman B, Vogelman J . Association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and breast cancer varies by menopausal status. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1998; 7(6):483-8. View

Goodwin P, Ennis M, Pritchard K, Trudeau M, Koo J, Hartwick W . Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins 1 and 3 and breast cancer outcomes. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2002; 74(1):65-76. DOI: 10.1023/a:1016075709022. View

Li B, Khosravi M, Berkel H, Diamandi A, Dayton M, Smith M . Free insulin-like growth factor-I and breast cancer risk. Int J Cancer. 2001; 91(5):736-9. DOI: 10.1002/1097-0215(200002)9999:9999<::aid-ijc1111>3.0.co;2-#. View

PETRAKIS N, Maack C, Lee R, Lyon M . Mutagenic activity in nipple aspirates of human breast fluid. Cancer Res. 1980; 40(1):188-9. View

Shi R, Yu H, Mclarty J, Glass J . IGF-I and breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Int J Cancer. 2004; 111(3):418-23. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.20233. View

10.

Fiorenza A, Branchi A, Sommariva D . Serum lipoprotein profile in patients with cancer. A comparison with non-cancer subjects. Int J Clin Lab Res. 2001; 30(3):141-5. DOI: 10.1007/s005990070013. View

11.

Wrensch M, PETRAKIS N, Gruenke L, Miike R, Ernster V, King E . Breast fluid cholesterol and cholesterol beta-epoxide concentrations in women with benign breast disease. Cancer Res. 1989; 49(8):2168-74. View

12.

Kant A, Graubard B, Kumanyika S . Trends in black-white differentials in dietary intakes of U.S. adults, 1971-2002. Am J Prev Med. 2007; 32(4):264-272. PMC: 2001255. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2006.12.011. View

13.

Ferretti G, Bacchetti T, Negre-Salvayre A, Salvayre R, Dousset N, Curatola G . Structural modifications of HDL and functional consequences. Atherosclerosis. 2005; 184(1):1-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2005.08.008. View

14.

Howarth N, Murphy S, Wilkens L, Hankin J, Kolonel L . Dietary energy density is associated with overweight status among 5 ethnic groups in the multiethnic cohort study. J Nutr. 2006; 136(8):2243-8. DOI: 10.1093/jn/136.8.2243. View

15.

Johansson H, Baglietto L, Guerrieri-Gonzaga A, Bonanni B, Mariette F, Macis D . Factors associated with circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in 740 women at risk for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2004; 88(1):63-73. DOI: 10.1007/s10549-004-0746-9. View

16.

Hoyer A, Engholm G . Serum lipids and breast cancer risk: a cohort study of 5,207 Danish women. Cancer Causes Control. 1992; 3(5):403-8. DOI: 10.1007/BF00051352. View

17.

Furberg A, Veierod M, Wilsgaard T, Bernstein L, Thune I . Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, metabolic profile, and breast cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004; 96(15):1152-60. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djh216. View

18.

Gonzalez C, Riboli E . Diet and cancer prevention: Contributions from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Eur J Cancer. 2010; 46(14):2555-62. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2010.07.025. View

19.

Gruenke L, Wrensch M, PETRAKIS N, Miike R, Ernster V, Craig J . Breast fluid cholesterol and cholesterol epoxides: relationship to breast cancer risk factors and other characteristics. Cancer Res. 1987; 47(20):5483-7. View

20.

Wang Y, Jahns L, Tussing-Humphreys L, Xie B, Rockett H, Liang H . Dietary intake patterns of low-income urban african-american adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110(9):1340-5. PMC: 2929676. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.06.005. View