Polymorphisms in genes involved in folate metabolism modify the association of dietary and circulating folate and vitamin B-6 with cervical neoplasia

J Nutr. 2013 Dec;143(12):2007-14. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.182212. Epub 2013 Oct 2.

Abstract

High folate intake has been suggested as an important factor in cancer prevention; however, previous studies on the relation among folate intake, serum folate, and plasma homocysteine (hcy) are controversial. We conducted a hospital-based, case-control study in Brazil investigating associations between dietary and circulating vitamins B-6 and B-12 and folate, hcy, genotypes of folate-metabolizing enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T, A1298C), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR A2756G), methionine synthase reductase (MTRR A66G), and reduced folate carrier (RFC1 G80A) and risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 1 (CIN1), 2 (CIN2), and 3 (CIN3). The study was composed by 453 controls, 140 CIN1, 126 CIN2, and 231 CIN3. We investigated the joint effects of genetic variants of folate-related genes using genetic risk scores (GRSs) by summing the number of risk alleles for CIN1 and CIN2+ (CIN2 and CIN3 cases). The OR (95% CI) for CIN1 and CIN2+ per each risk allele were 1.29 (1.01, 1.65) and 1.22 (1.01, 1.46), respectively. An association between folate intake and CIN2+ was observed only after stratification according to GRS: crude OR (95% CI) for lower folate intake and GRS ≥ 4 was 1.67 (0.92, 3.04) (P-trend < 0.001) compared with higher folate intake (above the median) and GRS ≤ 3. The CIN2+ risk of lower serum vitamin B-6 and GRS ≥ 4 was 2.14 (0.92, 5.02) (P-trend = 0.05) and lower serum folate (below the median) and GRS ≥ 4 was 0.49 (0.20, 1.17) (P-trend = 0.05) after adjustment for confounding variables and human papillomavirus infection. Our data suggest that polymorphisms in genes related to folate metabolism modify the association of dietary and circulating folate and vitamin B-6 with cervical neoplasia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diet*
  • Female
  • Folic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Folic Acid / blood*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / blood*
  • Vitamin B 6 / administration & dosage*
  • Vitamin B 6 / blood

Substances

  • Vitamin B 6
  • Folic Acid