Published in:
01-03-2000 | Meeting abstract
Does a polymorphism in the CYP17 gene predict mammographic density?
Authors:
G Ursin, SA Ingles, H Spencer Feigelson, GA Coetzee, L Bernstein, MC Pike, A Buley
Published in:
Breast Cancer Research
|
Special Issue 1/2000
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Excerpt
Mammographic density has been associated consistently with breast cancer risk in epidemiological studies. We and others have shown that hormonal status is associated with mammographic density. A pilot study was conducted to determine if a known polymorphism in a gene, CYP17, involved in the biosynthesis of female sex steroids, plays a role in mammographic density. The CYP17 gene encodes the cytochrome P450c17 enzyme which mediates the 17α -hydroxylation of pregnenolone and progesterone, and subsequent conversion of these 17-hydroxylated products to the estradiol precursors DHEA and androstenedione. In the 5' -UTR region of the CYP17 gene, a C/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) results in two alleles designated A1 and A2. The A2 allele has been associated with higher circulating hormone levels in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. …
