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Breast Cancer Research
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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Breast Cancer | Research

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

Authors: Benoît Mercoeur, Béatrice Fervers, Thomas Coudon, Hwayoung Noh, Camille Giampiccolo, Lény Grassot, Elodie Faure, Florian Couvidat, Gianluca Severi, Francesca Romana Mancini, Pascal Roy, Delphine Praud, Amina Amadou

Published in: Breast Cancer Research | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

Growing epidemiological evidence suggests an association between exposure to air pollutants and breast cancer. Yet, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study explored the mediating role of thirteen metabolic health biomarkers in the relationship between exposure to three air pollutants, i.e. nitrogen dioxide (NO2), polychlorinated biphenyls 153 (PCB153), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and breast cancer risk.

Methods

We used data from a nested case–control study within the French national prospective E3N-Generations cohort, involving 523 breast cancer cases and 523 matched controls. The four-way decomposition mediation of total effects for thirteen biomarkers was applied to estimate interaction and mediation effects (controlled direct, reference interaction, mediated interaction, and pure indirect effects).

Results

The analyses indicated a significant increase in breast cancer risk associated with BaP exposure (odds ratio (OR)Q4 vs Q1 = 2.32, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.00–5.37). PCB153 exposure showed a positive association only in the third quartile (ORQ3 vs Q1 = 2.25, CI 1.13–4.57), but it appeared to be non-significant in the highest quartile (ORQ4 vs Q1 = 2.07, CI 0.93–4.61). No association was observed between NO2 exposure and breast cancer risk. Estradiol was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (OR per one standard deviation (SD) increment = 1.22, CI 1.05–1.42), while thyroid-stimulating hormone was inversely related to breast cancer risk (OR per 1SD increase = 0.87, CI 0.75–1.00). We observed a suggestive mediated effect of the association between the three pollutants and breast cancer risk, through albumin, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, parathormone, and estradiol.

Conclusion

Although limited by a lack of statistical power, this study provides relevant insights into the potential mediating role of certain biomarkers in the association between air pollutant exposure and breast cancer risk, highlighting the need for further in-depth studies in large populations.
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Metadata
Title
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
Authors
Benoît Mercoeur
Béatrice Fervers
Thomas Coudon
Hwayoung Noh
Camille Giampiccolo
Lény Grassot
Elodie Faure
Florian Couvidat
Gianluca Severi
Francesca Romana Mancini
Pascal Roy
Delphine Praud
Amina Amadou
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Breast Cancer Research / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1465-542X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-024-01913-7

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