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Breast Cancer Research
Published in: Breast Cancer Research 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Short report

Circulating gamma-glutamyl transferase and development of specific breast cancer subtypes: findings from the Apolipoprotein Mortality Risk (AMORIS) cohort

Authors: Lydia Shackshaft, Mieke Van Hemelrijck, Hans Garmo, Håkan Malmström, Mats Lambe, Niklas Hammar, Göran Walldius, Ingmar Jungner, Wahyu Wulaningsih

Published in: Breast Cancer Research | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Different etiological pathways may precede development of specific breast cancer subtypes and impact prevention or treatment strategies. We investigated the association between gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and development of specific breast cancer subtypes based on oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 status.

Methods

We included 231,283 cancer-free women in a Swedish cohort. Associations between GGT and breast cancer subtypes were investigated with nested case–control and case–case analyses. We used logistic regression models to assess serum GGT in relation to breast cancer subtype, based on individual and combined receptor status.

Results

Positive associations were found between serum GGT and development of ER+, ER− and PR+ breast cancers compared to controls (odds ratio (OR) 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–1.19), 1.11 (1.01–1.23) and 1.18 (1.12–1.24), respectively) and of ER+/PR+ tumours. We found inverse associations between GGT levels and PR− breast cancers compared to PR+ (OR 0.87 (0.80–0.95)), between ER+/PR− tumours compared to ER+/PR+ tumours and between ER−/PR−/HER+ compared to ER+/HER2 or PR+/HER2 tumours (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.34–0.90).

Conclusion

The observed associations between pre-diagnostic serum GGT and different breast cancer subtypes may indicate distinct underlying pathways and require further investigations to tease out their clinical implications.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Circulating gamma-glutamyl transferase and development of specific breast cancer subtypes: findings from the Apolipoprotein Mortality Risk (AMORIS) cohort
Authors
Lydia Shackshaft
Mieke Van Hemelrijck
Hans Garmo
Håkan Malmström
Mats Lambe
Niklas Hammar
Göran Walldius
Ingmar Jungner
Wahyu Wulaningsih
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Breast Cancer Research / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1465-542X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-017-0816-7

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