Biomedical subjects

Jennifer H Barrett

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer H Barrett.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 CYP1A2 gene (CYP1A2) in colorectal cancer patients and controls: allele frequencies, linkage disequilibrium and influence on caffeine metabolism.

AIMS: Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the cytochrome P450 enzyme 1A2 gene (CYP1A2) have been reported. Here, frequencies, linkage disequilibrium and phenotypic consequences of six SNPs are described. METHODS: From genomic DNA, 114 British Caucasians (49 colorectal cancer cases and 65 controls) were genotyped for the CYP1A2 polymorphisms -3858G-->A (allele CYP1A2*1C), -2464T-->delT (CYP1A2*1D), -740T-->G (CYP1A2*1E and *1G), -164A-->C (CYP1A2*1F), 63C-->G (CYP1A2*2), and 1545T-->C (alleles CYP1A2*1B, *1G, *1H and *3), using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays. All patients and controls were phenotyped for CYP1A2 by h.p.l.c. analysis of urinary caffeine metabolites. RESULTS: In 114 samples, the most frequent CYP1A2 SNPs were 1545T-->C (38.2% of tested chromosomes), -164A-->C (CYP1A2*1F, 33.3%) and -2464T-->delT (CYP1A2*1D, 4.82%). The SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium: the most frequent constellations were found to be -3858G/-2464T/-740T/-164A/63C/1545T (61.8%), -3858G/-2464T/-740T/-164C/63C/1545C (33.3%), and -3858G/-2464delT/-740T/-164A/63C/1545C (3.51%), with no significant frequency differences between cases and controls. In the phenotype analysis, lower caffeine metabolic ratios were detected in cases than in controls. This was significant in smokers (n = 14, P = 0.020), and in a subgroup of 15 matched case-control pairs (P = 0.007), but it was not significant in nonsmokers (n = 100, P = 0.39). There was no detectable association between CYP1A2 genotype and caffeine phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: (i) CYP1A2 polymorphisms are in linkage disequilibrium. Therefore, only -164A-->C (CYP1A2*1F) and -2464T-->delT (CYP1A2*1D) need to be analysed in the routine assessment of CYP1A2 genotype; (ii) in vivo CYP1A2 activity is lower in colorectal cancer patients than in controls, and (iii) CYP1A2 genotype had no effect on phenotype (based on the caffeine metabolite ratio). However, this remains to be confirmed in a larger study.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Environmental influences: factors influencing a woman's decision to use dietary supplements.

Use of dietary supplements by women, particularly those over 40 years of age may be widespread in the United Kingdom. However, from surveillance data, there appears to be a disparity between nutrition and health needs and the rationale for and actual use of dietary supplements by women. This apparent paradox forms the basis for an inverse supplement hypothesis (i.e., supplement use in women appears to be most prevalent among those with least need). Little research has been done to examine the factors underlying the decision to use dietary supplements. Reasons for consuming dietary supplements are often complex, combining social, psychological, knowledge and economic factors. The theory of planned behavior is a widely used model for assessing factors influencing behavioral motivation and action that may be useful for assessing specific diet- and nutrition-related practices. It provided the basis for the development of a questionnaire to explore overall dietary supplement use in a cohort of women in the United Kingdom. The analysis of factors related to beliefs underlying dietary supplement use revealed differences between supplement users and nonusers. Differences included a stronger belief by users than nonusers that taking dietary supplements ensures against possible ill health. Both users and nonusers of supplements also perceived the media (books and magazines) to be a powerful influence on a person's decision to use supplements. These findings highlight the potential of the theory of planned behavior in exploring supplement-taking behavior while throwing light on the factors influencing an individual's motivations to use dietary supplements.

Choice Behavior↗

PubMed2002

An assessment of the CDKN2A variant Ala148Thr as a nevus/melanoma susceptibility allele.

Melanocytic nevi are the most potent risk factors for melanoma yet identified. Variation in the nevus phenotype within a population is predominantly genetically determined. Genes that determine nevus expression may therefore act as low penetrance melanoma susceptibility genes. Rare germline mutations in CDKN2A predispose to melanoma and appear to be nevogenic, although the correlation between nevus phenotype and mutation status is poor. It is plausible that more common CDKN2A variants may influence both melanoma susceptibility and nevus susceptibility. Ala148Thr is a G to A missense polymorphism of CDKN2A, which is found in 4%-6% of the general population. We have investigated the role of Ala148Thr as a low penetrance melanoma or nevus susceptibility allele in two separate groups of individuals. The first was a sample of 488 adults recruited from 179 families of patients with the atypical nevus phenotype and/or a family history of melanoma, and the second was a population-based sample of 599 women. Similar prevalences of Ala148Thr (4.9% and 5.2%) were found in both samples but significant variation in the prevalence of the polymorphism was seen across geographic areas within England. There was no association between Ala148Thr status and nevus number or history of melanoma, and therefore the results did not support the hypothesis that the Ala148Thr variant is a low penetrance melanoma or nevus susceptibility allele. A significant protective role of Ala148Thr on the number of atypical nevi was observed in the family sample (mean of 1 atypical nevus in those with the allele and 3.5 nevi in those without, p = 0.02). After allowing for potential confounders this was not evident in the population-based sample.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

A pharmacogenetic study to investigate the role of dietary carcinogens in the etiology of colorectal cancer.

Susceptibility to colorectal cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in the Western world, has been associated with several environmental and dietary risk factors. Dietary exposure to food derived heterocyclic amine carcinogens and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been proposed as specific risk factors. Many polymorphic Phase I and Phase II drug metabolizing enzymes are responsible for the metabolism and disposition of these compounds and it is therefore possible that inheritance of specific allelic variants of these enzymes may influence colorectal cancer susceptibility. In a multicenter case-control study, 490 colorectal cancer patients and 593 controls (433 matched case-control pairs) were genotyped for common polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6), glutathione S-transferase (GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1), sulfotransferase (SULT1A1 and SULT1A2), N-acetyl transferase 2 (NAT2), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EPHX1) genes. Matched case-control analysis identified alleles associated with higher colorectal cancer risk as carriage of CYP1A1*2C (OR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.36-3.39) and homozygosity for GSTM1*2/*2 (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.16-2.02). In contrast, inheritance of the CYP2A6*2 (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.28-1.06), CYP2C19*2 (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-0.98) and the EPHX1(His113) alleles were associated with reduced cancer risk. We found no association with colorectal cancer risk with NAT2 genotype or any of the other polymorphic genes associated with the metabolism and disposition of heterocyclic amine carcinogens. This data suggests that heterocyclic amines do not play an important role in the aetiology of colorectal cancer but that exposure to other carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may be important determinants of cancer risk.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2002

Association studies.

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Analysis of Variance↗