CD163+ macrophages in the triple-negative breast tumor microenvironment are associated with improved survival in the Women's Circle of Health Study and the Women's Circle of Health Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a prominent immune subpopulation in the tumor microenvironment that could potentially serve as therapeutic targets for breast cancer. Thus, it is important to characterize this cell population across different tumor subtypes including patterns of association with demographic and prognostic factors, and breast cancer outcomes. METHODS: We investigated CD163+ macrophages in relation to clinicopathologic variables and breast cancer outcomes in the Women's Circle of Health Study and Women's Circle of Health Follow-up Study populations of predominantly Black women with breast cancer. We evaluated 611 invasive breast tumor samples (507 from Black women, 104 from White women) with immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray slides followed by digital image analysis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios for overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) for 546 cases with available survival data (median follow-up time 9.68 years (IQR: 7.43-12.33). RESULTS: Women with triple-negative breast cancer showed significantly improved OS in relation to increased levels of tumor-infiltrating CD163+ macrophages in age-adjusted (Q3 vs. Q1: HR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.16-0.83) and fully adjusted models (Q3 vs. Q1: HR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.12-0.73). A similar, but non-statistically significant, association was observed for BCSS. Macrophage infiltration in luminal and HER2+ tumors was not associated with OS or BCSS. In a multivariate regression model that adjusted for age, subtype, grade, and tumor size, there was no significant difference in CD163+ macrophage density between Black and White women (RR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.71-1.10). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to previous studies, we observed that higher densities of CD163+ macrophages are independently associated with improved OS and BCSS in women with invasive triple-negative breast cancer. Trial registration Not applicable.

Association between Neighborhood Stressors and Allostatic Load in Breast Cancer Survivors: The Pathways Study.

Allostatic load (AL) is an intermediary outcome through which neighborhood drivers of health may impact cancer survivorship outcomes. We examined associations of neighborhood stressors and AL in 2,553 women with breast cancer recruited into the Pathways Study in 2006-2013. AL score was derived from biomarkers in the cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune domains of physiological stress measured within 3 years after baseline. Neighborhood data were appended to participants' geocoded baseline addresses. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate associations between neighborhood stressors and risk of higher AL score. Adjusting for age and stage, high AL was positively associated with low versus high neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES; OR=2.24, 95% CI=1.61-3.12) and green space (OR=1.55, 95% CI=1.18-2.03); high versus low traffic (OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.01-1.72), crime (OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.05-1.67), and household crowding (OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.22-2.01); and more versus no fast-food restaurants (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.21-1.84). Associations remained for nSES and fast-food restaurants after co-adjustment with other neighborhood stressors, and for fast-food restaurants after additional adjustment with individual sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Our preliminary findings can inform further studies of the physiological effects of neighborhood stressors, which collectively may help improve survivorship outcomes for the growing population of breast cancer survivors.

mTOR pathway candidate genes and physical activity interaction on breast cancer risk in black women from the women's circle of health study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity has been shown to affect the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and consequently breast carcinogenesis. Given that Black women in the USA are less physically active, it is not well understood whether there are gene-environment interactions between mTOR pathway genes and physical activity in relation to breast cancer risk in Black women. METHODS: The study included 1398 Black women (567 incident breast cancer cases and 831 controls) from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). We examined interactions between 43 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 mTOR pathway genes with levels of vigorous physical activity in relation to breast cancer risk overall and by ER-defined subtypes using Wald test with 2-way interaction term and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: AKT1 rs10138227 (C > T) and AKT1 rs1130214 (C > A) were only associated with a decreased risk of ER + breast cancer among women with vigorous physical activity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04, 0.56, for each copy of the T allele, p-interaction = 0.007 and OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.27, 0.96, for each copy of the A allele, p-interaction = 0.045, respectively). MTOR rs2295080 (G > T) was only associated with an increased risk of ER + breast cancer among women with vigorous physical activity (OR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.16, 4.34, for each copy of the G allele; p-interaction = 0.043). EIF4E rs141689493 (G > A) was only associated with an increased risk of ER- breast cancer among women with vigorous physical activity (OR = 20.54, 95% CI 2.29, 184.17, for each copy of the A allele; p-interaction = 0.003). These interactions became non-significant after correction for multiple testing (FDR-adjusted p-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that mTOR genetic variants may interact with physical activity in relation to breast cancer risk in Black women. Future studies should confirm these findings.

mTOR pathway candidate genes and obesity interaction on breast cancer risk in black women from the Women's Circle of Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is known to stimulate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and both obesity and the mTOR signaling pathway are implicated in breast carcinogenesis. We investigated potential gene-environment interactions between mTOR pathway genes and obesity in relation to breast cancer risk among Black women. METHODS: The study included 1,655 Black women (821 incident breast cancer cases and 834 controls) from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). Obesity measures including body mass index (BMI); central obesity i.e., waist circumference (WC) and waist/hip ratio (WHR); and body fat distribution (fat mass, fat mass index and percent body fat) were obtained by trained research staff. We examined the associations of 43 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 mTOR pathway genes with breast cancer risk using multivariable logistic regression. We next examined interactions between these SNPs and measures of obesity using Wald test with 2-way interaction term. RESULTS: The variant allele of BRAF (rs114729114 C > T) was associated with an increase in overall breast cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.99, for each copy of the T allele] and the risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-defined subtypes (ER+ tumors: OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.04,3.29, for each copy of the T allele; ER- tumors OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.03,4.45, for each copy of the T allele). Genetic variants in AKT, AKT1, PGF, PRKAG2, RAPTOR, TSC2 showed suggestive associations with overall breast cancer risk and the risk of, ER+ and ER- tumors (range of p-values = 0.040-0.097). We also found interactions of several of the SNPs with BMI, WHR, WC, fat mass, fat mass index and percent body fat in relation to breast cancer risk. These associations and interactions, however, became nonsignificant after correction for multiple testing (FDR-adjusted p-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: We found associations between mTOR genetic variants and breast cancer risk as well as gene and body fatness interactions in relation to breast cancer risk. However, these associations and interactions became nonsignificant after correction for multiple testing. Future studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm and validate these findings.

mTOR pathway candidate genes and energy intake interaction on breast cancer risk in Black women from the Women's Circle of Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Excessive energy intake has been shown to affect the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and breast cancer risk. It is not well understood whether there are gene-environment interactions between mTOR pathway genes and energy intake in relation to breast cancer risk. METHODS: The study included 1642 Black women (809 incident breast cancer cases and 833 controls) from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). We examined interactions between 43 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 mTOR pathway genes and quartiles of energy intake in relation to breast cancer risk overall and by ER- defined subtypes using Wald test with a 2-way interaction term. RESULTS: AKT1 rs10138227 (C > T) was only associated with a decreased overall breast cancer risk among women in quartile (Q)2 of energy intake, odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40, 0.91 (p-interaction = 0.042). Similar results were found in ER- tumors. AKT rs1130214 (C > A) was associated with decreased overall breast cancer risk in Q2 (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.44, 0.91) and Q3 (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.48, 0.89) (p-interaction = 0.026). HIF-1α C1772T rs11549465 (C > T) was associated with decreased overall breast cancer risk in Q4 (OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.14, 0.59, p-interaction = 0.007); the results were similar in ER+ tumors. These interactions became non-significant after correction for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that mTOR genetic variants may interact with energy intake in relation to breast cancer risk, including the ER- subtype, in Black women. Future studies should confirm these findings.

Associations of hair dye and relaxer use with breast tumor clinicopathologic features: Findings from the Women's circle of Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Building upon our earlier findings of significant associations between hair dye and relaxer use with increased breast cancer risk, we evaluated associations of select characteristics of use with breast tumor clinicopathology. METHODS: Using multivariable-adjusted models we examined the associations of interest in a case-only study of 2998 women with breast cancer, overall and stratified by race and estrogen receptor (ER) status, addressing multiple comparisons using Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Compared to salon application of permanent hair dye, home kit and combination application (both salon and home kit application) were associated with increased odds of poorly differentiated tumors in the overall sample. This association was consistent among Black (home kit: OR 2.22, 95 % CI: 1.21-5.00; combination: OR 2.46, 95 % CI: 1.21-5.00), but not White women, and among ER+ (home kit: OR 1.47, 95 % CI: 0.82-2.63; combination: OR 2.98, 95 % CI: 1.62-5.49) but not ER-cases. Combination application of relaxers was associated with increased odds of tumors >2.0 cm vs. <1.0 cm (OR = 1.82, 95 % CI: 1.23-2.69). Longer duration and earlier use of relaxers and combination application of permanent hair dyes and relaxers were associated with breast tumor features including higher tumor grade and larger tumor size, which often denote more aggressive phenotypes, although the findings did not maintain significance with Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS: These novel data support reported associations between hair dye and relaxer use with breast cancer, showing for the first time, associations with breast tumor clinicopathologic features. Improved hair product exposure measurement is essential for fully understanding the impact of these environmental exposure with breast cancer and to guide risk reduction strategies in the future.

Body fatness and breast cancer risk in relation to phosphorylated mTOR expression in a sample of predominately Black women.

BACKGROUND: The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway promoted by positive energy imbalance and insulin-like growth factors can be a mechanism by which obesity influences breast cancer risk. We evaluated the associations of body fatness with the risk of breast cancer varied with phosphorylated (p)-mTOR protein expression, an indication of the pathway activation. METHODS: Women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (n = 715; 574 [80%] Black and 141 [20%] White) and non-cancer controls (n = 1983; 1280 [64%] Black and 713 [36%] White) were selected from the Women's Circle of Health Study. Surgical tumor samples among the cases were immunostained for p-mTOR (Ser2448) and classified as p-mTOR-overexpressed, if the expression level ≥ 75th percentile, or p-mTOR-negative/low otherwise. Anthropometrics were measured by trained staff, and body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) of p-mTOR-overexpressed tumors and p-mTOR-negative/low tumors compared to controls were estimated using polytomous logistic regression. The differences in the associations by the p-mTOR expression status were assessed by tests for heterogeneity. RESULTS: Cases with p-mTOR-overexpressed tumors, but not cases with p-mTOR-negative/low tumors, compared to controls were more likely to have higher body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, and fat mass index (P-heterogeneity < 0.05), although the OR estimates were not significant. For the measurement of central adiposity, cases with p-mTOR overexpressed tumors had a higher odds of being at the Q3 (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.46 to 4.34) and Q4 (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.12 to 3.50) of waist circumference (WC) compared to controls. Similarly, cases with p-mTOR overexpressed tumors had a higher odds of being at the Q3 (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.98) and Q4 (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.98) of WHR compared to controls. These associations of WC and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) did not differ by tumor p-mTOR status (P-heterogeneity = 0.27 and 0.48, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that in this population composed of predominately Black women, body fatness is associated with breast cancer differently for p-mTOR overexpression and p-mTOR negative/low expression. Whether mTOR plays a role in the obesity and breast cancer association warrants confirmation by prospective studies.

Genetic variants in anti-Müllerian hormone-related genes and breast cancer risk: results from the AMBER consortium.

PURPOSE: Circulating anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels are positively associated with time to menopause and breast cancer risk. We examined breast cancer associations with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the AMH gene or its receptor genes, ACVR1 and AMHR2, among African American women. METHODS: In the AMBER consortium, we tested 65 candidate SNPs, and 1130 total variants, in or near AMH, ACVR1, and AMHR2 and breast cancer risk. Overall, 3649 cases and 4230 controls contributed to analyses. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for breast cancer were calculated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: After correction for multiple comparisons (false-discovery rate of 5%), there were no statistically significant associations with breast cancer risk. Without correction for multiple testing, four candidate SNPs in ACVR1 and one near AMH were associated with breast cancer risk. In ACVR1, rs13395576[C] was associated with lower breast cancer risk overall (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.72, 0.97) and for ER+ disease (OR 0.75; CI 0.62, 0.89) (p < 0.05). Rs1220110[A] and rs1220134[T] each had ORs of 0.89-0.90 for postmenopausal and ER+ breast cancer (p ≤ 0.03). Conversely, rs1682130[T] was associated with higher risk of ER+ breast cancer (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.04, 1.32). Near AMH, rs6510652[T] had ORs of 0.85-0.90 for breast cancer overall and after menopause (p ≤ 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The present results, from a large study of African American women, provide limited support for an association between AMH-related polymorphisms and breast cancer risk and require replication in other studies.

Gene expression of adipokines and adipokine receptors in the tumor microenvironment: associations of lower expression with more aggressive breast tumor features.

PURPOSE: Limited epidemiologic data are available on the expression of adipokines leptin (LEP) and adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and adipokine receptors (LEPR, ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2) in the breast tumor microenvironment (TME). The associations of gene expression of these biomarkers with tumor clinicopathology are not well understood. METHODS: NanoString multiplexed assays were used to assess the gene expression levels of LEP, LEPR, ADIPOQ, ADIPOR1, and ADIPOR2 within tumor tissues among 162 Black and 55 White women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Multivariate mixed effects models were used to estimate associations of gene expression with breast tumor clinicopathology (overall and separately among Blacks). RESULTS: Black race was associated with lower gene expression of LEPR (P = 0.002) and ADIPOR1 (P = 0.01). Lower LEP, LEPR, and ADIPOQ gene expression were associated with higher tumor grade (P = 0.0007, P < 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively) and larger tumor size (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0005, and P < 0.0001, respectively). Lower ADIPOQ expression was associated with ER- status (P = 0.0005), and HER2-enriched (HER2-E; P = 0.0003) and triple-negative (TN; P = 0.002) subtypes. Lower ADIPOR2 expression was associated with Ki67+ status (P = 0.0002), ER- status (P < 0.0001), PR- status (P < 0.0001), and TN subtype (P = 0.0002). Associations of lower adipokine and adipokine receptor gene expression with ER-, HER2-E, and TN subtypes were confirmed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (P-values < 0.005). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that lower expression of ADIPOQ, ADIPOR2, LEP, and LEPR in the breast TME might be indicators of more aggressive breast cancer phenotypes. Validation of these findings are warranted to elucidate the role of the adipokines and adipokine receptors in long-term breast cancer prognosis.

Patterns of chronic disease management and health outcomes in a population-based cohort of Black women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Diabetes and hypertension are two common comorbidities that affect breast cancer patients, particularly Black women. Disruption of chronic disease management during cancer treatment has been speculated. Therefore, this study examined the implementation of clinical practice guidelines and health outcomes for these comorbidities before and during cancer treatment. METHODS: We used a population-based, prospective cohort of Black women diagnosed with breast cancer (2012-2016) in New Jersey (n = 563). Chronic disease management for diabetes and hypertension was examined 12 months before and after breast cancer diagnosis and compared using McNemar's test for matched paired and paired t tests. RESULTS: Among this cohort, 18.1% had a co-diagnosis of diabetes and 47.2% had a co-diagnosis of hypertension. Implementation of clinical practice guidelines and health outcomes that differed in the 12 months before and after cancer diagnosis included lipid screening (64.5% before versus 50.0% after diagnosis; p = 0.004), glucose screening (72.7% versus 90.7%; p < 0.001), and blood pressure control < 140/90 mmHg (57.6% versus 71.5%; p = 0.004) among patients with hypertension-only. For patients with diabetes, eye and foot care were low (< 35%) and optimal HbA1c < 8.0% was achieved for less than 50% of patients in both time periods. CONCLUSION: Chronic disease management continued during cancer treatment; however, eye and foot exams for patients with diabetes and lipid screening for patients with hypertension-only were inadequate. Given that comorbidities may account for half of the Black-White breast cancer survival disparity, strategies are needed to improve chronic disease management during cancer, especially for Black women who bear a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases.

Comorbidity Management in Black Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: the Role of Primary Care in Shared Care.

BACKGROUND: Black women are more likely to have comorbidity at breast cancer diagnosis compared with White women, which may account for half of the Black-White survivor disparity. Comprehensive disease management requires a coordinated team of healthcare professionals including primary care practitioners, but few studies have examined shared care in the management of comorbidities during cancer care, especially among racial/ethnic minorities. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the type of medical team composition is associated with optimal clinical care management of comorbidities. DESIGN: We used the Women's Circle of Health Follow-up Study, a population-based cohort of Black women diagnosed with breast cancer. The likelihood of receiving optimal comorbidity management after breast cancer diagnosis was compared by type of medical team composition (shared care versus cancer specialists only) using binomial regression. PARTICIPANTS: Black women with a co-diagnosis of diabetes and/or hypertension at breast cancer diagnosis between 2012 and 2016 (N = 274). MAIN MEASURES: Outcome-optimal clinical care management of diabetes (i.e., A1C test, LDL-C test, and medical attention for nephropathy) and hypertension (i.e., lipid screening and prescription for hypertension medication). Main predictor-shared care, whether the patient received care from both a cancer specialist and a primary care provider and/or a medical specialist within the 12 months following a breast cancer diagnosis. KEY RESULTS: Primary care providers were the main providers involved in managing comorbidities and 90% of patients received shared care during breast cancer care. Only 54% had optimal comorbidity management. Patients with shared care were five times (aRR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.66, 12.84) more likely to have optimal comorbidity management compared with patients who only saw cancer specialists. CONCLUSIONS: Suboptimal management of comorbidities during breast cancer care exists for Black women. However, our findings suggest that shared care is more beneficial at achieving optimal clinical care management for diabetes and hypertension than cancer specialists alone.

Prevalence, risk factors, and trajectories of sleep disturbance in a cohort of African-American breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: Sleep disturbance may be an overlooked modifiable risk factor for health disparities among African-American breast cancer survivors (AABCS). This study aimed to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for sleep disturbance in a cohort of AABCS. METHODS: The study was conducted among participants in the Women's Circle of Health Follow-up Study, a longitudinal study of breast cancer in 10 counties in New Jersey. Cases were identified shortly after diagnosis by the New Jersey State Cancer Registry. Self-reported sleep disturbance (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and other factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, menopausal status) were assessed at pre-diagnosis (n = 637), 10 months post-diagnosis (n = 261), and 24 months post-diagnosis (n = 632). Clinical data were obtained via medical record abstraction, and height and weight were measured by study staff. RESULTS: Most AABCS (57%) reported clinically significant sleep disturbance before diagnosis, and this rate remained largely unchanged at 10 months (53%) and 24 months post-diagnosis (61%). Average sleep disturbance scores indicated clinically significant disturbance at all three assessments (M range = 6.67-7.57). Most reported sleeping fewer than the recommended 7 hours per night at each assessment (range 57-65%). Risk factors for sleep disturbance were identified at each assessment, including pre-diagnosis (less education), 10 months post-diagnosis (lack of insurance, treatment with chemotherapy), and 24 months post-diagnosis (younger age, less education, lower income, obesity, and lymphedema). Treatment with endocrine therapy was a protective factor at 10 months post-diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Most AABCS report clinically significant sleep disturbance from before diagnosis through 24 months post-diagnosis. These rates appear indicate AABCS experience significant sleep-related disparities.

Pathways between objective and perceived neighborhood factors among Black breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence supports associations between objective neighborhood disorder, perceived neighborhood disorder, and health, yet alternative explanations involving socioeconomic and neighborhood social cohesion have been understudied. We tested pathways between objective and perceived neighborhood disorder, perceived neighborhood social cohesion, and socioeconomic factors within a longitudinal cohort. METHODS: Demographic and socioeconomic information before diagnosis was obtained at interviews conducted approximately 10 months post-diagnosis from participants in the Women's Circle of Health Follow-up Study - a cohort of breast cancer survivors self-identifying as African American or Black women (n = 310). Neighborhood perceptions were obtained during follow-up interviews conducted approximately 24 months after diagnosis. Objective neighborhood disorder was from 9 items audited across 23,276 locations using Google Street View and scored to estimate disorder values at each participant's residential address at diagnosis. Census tract socioeconomic and demographic composition covariates were from the 2010 U.S. Census and American Community Survey. Pathways to perceived neighborhood disorder were built using structural equation modelling. Model fit was assessed from the comparative fit index and root mean square error approximation and associations were reported as standardized coefficients and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Higher perceived neighborhood disorder was associated with higher objective neighborhood disorder (ß = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.33), lower neighborhood social cohesion, and lower individual-level socioeconomic factors (final model root mean square error approximation 0.043 (90% CI: 0.013, 0.068)). Perceived neighborhood social cohesion was associated with individual-level socioeconomic factors and objective neighborhood disorder (ß = - 0.11, 95% CI: - 0.24, 0.02). CONCLUSION: Objective neighborhood disorder might be related to perceived disorder directly and indirectly through perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion.

Genetic ancestry and population differences in levels of inflammatory cytokines in women: Role for evolutionary selection and environmental factors.

Selection pressure due to exposure to infectious pathogens endemic to Africa may explain distinct genetic variations in immune response genes. However, the impact of those genetic variations on human immunity remains understudied, especially within the context of modern lifestyles and living environments, which are drastically different from early humans in sub Saharan Africa. There are few data on population differences in constitutional immune environment, where genetic ancestry and environment are likely two primary sources of variation. In a study integrating genetic, molecular and epidemiologic data, we examined population differences in plasma levels of 14 cytokines involved in innate and adaptive immunity, including those implicated in chronic inflammation, and possible contributing factors to such differences, in 914 AA and 855 EA women. We observed significant differences in 7 cytokines, including higher plasma levels of CCL2, CCL11, IL4 and IL10 in EAs and higher levels of IL1RA and IFNα2 in AAs. Analyses of a wide range of demographic and lifestyle factors showed significant impact, with age, education level, obesity, smoking, and alcohol intake, accounting for some, but not all, observed population differences for the cytokines examined. Levels of two pro-inflammatory chemokines, CCL2 and CCL11, were strongly associated with percent of African ancestry among AAs. Through admixture mapping, the signal was pinpointed to local ancestry at 1q23, with fine-mapping analysis refined to the Duffy-null allele of rs2814778. In AA women, this variant was a major determinant of systemic levels of CCL2 (p = 1.1e-58) and CCL11 (p = 2.2e-110), accounting for 19% and 40% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. Our data reveal strong ancestral footprints in inflammatory chemokine regulation. The Duffy-null allele may indicate a loss of the buffering function for chemokine levels. The substantial immune differences by ancestry may have broad implications to health disparities between AA and EA populations.

Immunohistochemical analysis of adipokine and adipokine receptor expression in the breast tumor microenvironment: associations of lower leptin receptor expression with estrogen receptor-negative status and triple-negative subtype.

BACKGROUND: The molecular mechanisms underlying the association between increased adiposity and aggressive breast cancer phenotypes remain unclear, but likely involve the adipokines, leptin (LEP) and adiponectin (ADIPOQ), and their receptors (LEPR, ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2). METHODS: We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess LEP, LEPR, ADIPOQ, ADIPOR1, and ADIPOR2 expression in breast tumor tissue microarrays among a sample of 720 women recently diagnosed with breast cancer (540 of whom self-identified as Black). We scored IHC expression quantitatively, using digital pathology analysis. We abstracted data on tumor grade, tumor size, tumor stage, lymph node status, Ki67, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) from pathology records, and used ER, PR, and HER2 expression data to classify breast cancer subtype. We used multivariable mixed effects models to estimate associations of IHC expression with tumor clinicopathology, in the overall sample and separately among Blacks. RESULTS: Larger proportions of Black than White women were overweight or obese and had more aggressive tumor features. Older age, Black race, postmenopausal status, and higher body mass index were associated with higher LEPR IHC expression. In multivariable models, lower LEPR IHC expression was associated with ER-negative status and triple-negative subtype (P < 0.0001) in the overall sample and among Black women only. LEP, ADIPOQ, ADIPOR1, and ADIPOR2 IHC expression were not significantly associated with breast tumor clinicopathology. CONCLUSIONS: Lower LEPR IHC expression within the breast tumor microenvironment might contribute mechanistically to inter-individual variation in aggressive breast cancer clinicopathology, particularly ER-negative status and triple-negative subtype.

Somatic mutations of triple-negative breast cancer: a comparison between Black and White women.

PURPOSE: Understanding the contribution of tumor genome biology to racial disparities of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is important for narrowing the cancer mortality gap between Black and White women. METHODS: We evaluated tumor somatic mutations using targeted sequencing of a customized panel of 151 genes and 15 copy number variations (CNVs) within a population of 133 TNBC patients, including 71 Black and 62 White women. RESULTS: The overall mutational burden between Black and White women with TNBC was not significantly different, with a median of 5 somatic changes per patient (point mutations and CNVs combined) for the customized panel (range 1-31 for Blacks vs. 1-26 for Whites; p = 0.76). Of the 151 genes examined, none were mutated at a significantly higher frequency in Black than in White cases, whereas two genes were mutated at a higher frequency in White cases-PIK3CA and NCOR1. No significant difference in the frequency of CNVs was observed between Black and White women with TNBC in our study population. CONCLUSION: Of gene mutations and CNVs in TNBC tumors from Black and White women, only PIK3CA and NCOR1 had significantly different, although slight, frequencies by race. These results indicate that overall differences observed in the mutation spectra between Black and White women with breast cancer are likely due to the differential distributions of breast cancer subtypes by race.

Pre-diagnostic allostatic load and health-related quality of life in a cohort of Black breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: To determine the association of pre-diagnostic allostatic load (AL) with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Black women with breast cancer. METHODS: In a sample of 409 Black women with non-metastatic breast cancer enrolled in the Women's Circle of Health Follow-Up Study (WCHFS), two pre-diagnostic AL measures were estimated using medical records data from up to 12 months prior to breast cancer diagnosis: AL-lipid/metabolic profile-based measure and AL-inflammatory profile-based measure. HRQOL was assessed approximately 24 months post diagnosis, using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer (FACT-B) instrument, including 5 subscale scores [presented by physical well-being (PWB), social & family well-being (SFWB), emotional well-being (EWB), functional well-being (FWB), and breast cancer-specific scale (BCS)] and 3 derived total scores [presented by trial outcome index (TOI), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and FACT-B]. We used multivariable logistic regression models, using dichotomized AL scores (lower AL: 0-3 points, higher AL: 4-8 points), to assess the associations between the two pre-diagnostic AL measures and HRQOL. RESULTS: Higher pre-diagnostic AL was associated with poorer FWB and lower FACT-G, but these associations were statistically significant for the AL-inflammatory profile-based measure (FWB: OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.04, 2.56; FACT-G: OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.04, 2.54), but not the AL-lipid/metabolic profile-based measure (FWB: OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.81, 2.59; FACT-G: OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.75, 2.37). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that higher AL, particularly when measured using the inflammatory profile-based measure, was associated with poorer HRQOL, namely FWB and FACT-G, among Black breast cancer survivors.

A survey of microRNA single nucleotide polymorphisms identifies novel breast cancer susceptibility loci in a case-control, population-based study of African-American women.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and influence cancer. Primary transcripts of miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) are poorly annotated and little is known about the role of germline variation in miRNA genes and breast cancer (BC). We sought to identify germline miRNA variants associated with BC risk and tumor subtype among African-American (AA) women. METHODS: Under the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk (AMBER) Consortium, genotyping and imputed data from four studies on BC in AA women were combined into a final dataset containing 224,188 miRNA gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for 8350 women: 3663 cases and 4687 controls. The primary miRNA sequence was identified for 566 miRNA genes expressed in Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Tier 1 cell types and human pancreatic islets. Association analysis was conducted using logistic regression for BC status overall and by tumor subtype. RESULTS: A novel BC signal was localized to an 8.6-kb region of 17q25.3 by four SNPs (rs9913477, rs1428882938, rs28585511, and rs7502931) and remained statistically significant after multiple test correction (odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26-1.65; p = 3.15 × 10-7; false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.03). These SNPs reside in a genomic location that includes both the predicted primary transcript of the noncoding miRNA gene MIR3065 and the first intron of the gene for brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1-associated protein 2 (BAIAP2). Furthermore, miRNA-associated SNPs on chromosomes 1p32.3, 5q32, and 3p25.1 were the strongest signals for hormone receptor, luminal versus basal-like, and HER2 enrichment status, respectively. A second phase of genotyping (1397 BC cases, 2418 controls) that included two SNPs in the 8.6-kb region was used for validation and meta-analysis. While neither rs4969239 nor rs9913477 was validated, when meta-analyzed with the original dataset their association with BC remained directionally consistent (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.16-1.44 (p = 4.18 × 10-6) and OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.17-1.51 (p = 1.6 × 10-5), respectively). CONCLUSION: Germline genetic variation indicates that MIR3065 may play an important role in BC development and heterogeneity among AA women. Further investigation to determine the potential functional effects of these SNPs is warranted. This study contributes to our understanding of BC risk in AA women and highlights the complexity in evaluating variation in gene-dense regions of the human genome.

An intergenic risk locus containing an enhancer deletion in 2q35 modulates breast cancer risk by deregulating IGFBP5 expression.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in females. Previous association studies have identified variants on 2q35 associated with the risk of breast cancer. To identify functional susceptibility loci for breast cancer, we interrogated the 2q35 gene desert for chromatin architecture and functional variation correlated with gene expression. We report a novel intergenic breast cancer risk locus containing an enhancer copy number variation (enCNV; deletion) located approximately 400Kb upstream to IGFBP5, which overlaps an intergenic ERα-bound enhancer that loops to the IGFBP5 promoter. The enCNV is correlated with modified ERα binding and monoallelic-repression of IGFBP5 following oestrogen treatment. We investigated the association of enCNV genotype with breast cancer in 1,182 cases and 1,362 controls, and replicate our findings in an independent set of 62,533 cases and 60,966 controls from 41 case control studies and 11 GWAS. We report a dose-dependent inverse association of 2q35 enCNV genotype (percopy OR = 0.68 95%CI 0.55-0.83, P = 0.0002; replication OR = 0.77 95% CI 0.73-0.82, P = 2.1 × 10-19) and identify 13 additional linked variants (r2 > 0.8) in the 20Kb linkage block containing the enCNV (P = 3.2 × 10-15 - 5.6 × 10-17). These associations were independent of previously reported 2q35 variants, rs13387042/rs4442975 and rs16857609, and were stronger for ER-positive than ER-negative disease. Together, these results suggest that 2q35 breast cancer risk loci may be mediating their effect through IGFBP5.

Hair product use and breast cancer risk among African American and White women.

Exposures to carcinogens in hair products have been explored as breast cancer risk factors, yielding equivocal findings. We examined hair product use (hair dyes, chemical relaxers and cholesterol or placenta-containing conditioners) among African American (AA) and White women, and explored associations with breast cancer. Multivariable-adjusted models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to describe the associations of interest among 2280 cases (1508 AA and 772 White) and 2005 controls (1290 AA and 715 White). Among controls, hair dye use was more common among Whites than AAs (58 versus 30%), while relaxer (88 versus 5%) and deep conditioner use (59 versus 6%) was more common among AAs. Among AAs, use of dark hair dye shades was associated with increased breast cancer risk (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.20-1.90) and use of dark shades (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.30-2.26) and higher frequency of use (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.84) were associated with ER+ disease. Among Whites, relaxer use (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.11-2.74) and dual use of relaxers and hair dyes (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.35-4.27) was associated with breast cancer; use of dark hair dyes was associated with increased ER+ disease (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.01-2.33), and relaxer use was associated with increased ER- disease (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.06-6.16). These novel findings provide support a relationship between the use of some hair products and breast cancer. Further examinations of hair products as important exposures contributing to breast cancer carcinogenesis are necessary.