Sulfotransferase 1A1 polymorphism, endogenous estrogen exposure, well-done meat intake, and breast cancer risk

Sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 is involved in the inactivation of estrogens and bioactivation of heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A G→A transition at codon 213 (CGC/Arg to CAC/His) of the SULT1A1 gene was reported recently, and individuals homozygous for the His allele have a substantially lower activity of this enzyme than those with other genotypes. We hypothesized that the His allele may be a risk factor for breast cancer, particularly among women who had risk factors related to higher endogenous estrogen exposure. This hypothesis was investigated in a case-control study conducted in a cohort of postmenopausal Iowa women who completed a mailed questionnaire in 1996 on lifestyle factors including information on major breast cancer risk factors. DNA samples and information related to well-done meat intake were obtained from breast cancer cases diagnosed between 1992 and 1994 and a random sample of cancer-free cohort members. Multivariate analysis was performed on data from 156 cases and 332 controls who donated a blood sample. The frequency of the His allele was 41.6% in cases and 34.1% in controls (P = 0.03), and the risk of breast cancer was increased with the number of His alleles (P for trend = 0.02). Compared with women with the Arg/Arg genotype, an 80% elevated risk was observed among women homozygous for the His allele (95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.2; P = 0.04). This positive association was more pronounced among women who drank alcohol and had a high body mass index, early age at menarche, and late age at menopause, factors related to high endogenous estrogen exposure, than among those who did not have these risk factors. The risk of breast cancer was elevated with increasing doneness level of red meat intake among women with the Arg/Arg genotype (P for trend, 0.01) or the Arg/His genotype (P for trend, 0.10), whereas this association was not evident for women with the His/His genotype. The results from this study suggest that homozygosity for the SULT1A1 His²¹³ allele may be a risk factor for breast cancer, and its effect may be modified by the exposure level of endogenous estrogens and heterocyclic amines.