Hispanic farmworkers of the San Joaquin Valley with polymorphisms in specific xenobiotic-metabolizing genes have elevated risk of hormone-dependent

cancer
Yesenia Ibarra*, Kathryn Patterson*, Malika Sahni*, Jessica Borba*, Jason A. and Paul K. *Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno Department of Internal Medicine, UCSF-Fresno
Bush* , Mills

Objective
The long-term goal of this study is to determine the association between exposure to pesticides and risk of hormone-dependent cancer (breast or prostate) in the Hispanic population of the intensely agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California.

Results

Background
In California alone, there will be an estimated 25,510 new cases of breast cancer and 25,030 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed (American Cancer Society, 2011). California leads the nation in agricultural production and uses over 170 million pounds of active pesticide ingredients each year (California Dept of Pesticide Regulation, 2007). Organochlorines are a common class of pesticides known as endocrine disruptors that can modify the effects of estrogen & testosterone and may act as agonists/antagonists or have mixed effects in the tissue microenvironment. The pathway for xenobiotic elimination from the body is a multi-step process resulting in excretion of contaminants through urine or bile. Step 1 involves oxidation by the Phase I P450 cytochrome (CYP) enzyme family, and is typically an activating reaction creating a more polar byproduct. Step 2 involves conjugation with a ligand by the Phase II glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzyme family, and is typically a detoxifying reaction.

Figure 1. GSTM1 and GSTT1 Multiplex PCR of GSTM1 and GSTT1. A band at 215 bp and 480 bp represent a wild-type/ heterozygous allele of GSTM1 and GSTT1 respectively. Absence of the bands indicates null deletion for that gene. Human Serum Albumen (HSA) is the positive control.

Figure 2. GSTP1-I105V-RFLP Allele-specific PCR-RFLP of GSTP1I105V SNP with BsmAI restriction endonuclease. A band at 440 bp represents a wild-type/homozygous allele. Bands at 440 bp, 228 bp and 212 bp represent a heterozygous allele, while bands at 228 bp and 212 bp indicate a homozygous polymorphic allele for that sample.

Figure 3. GSTP1-A114V-RFLP PCR of GSTP1-A114V SNP select DNA samples with restriction endonuclease AciI (5-C*CGC-3; 3GGC*G-5). Bands at 175 bp and 192 bp indicate a wild-type allele. A band at 367 bp indicates a polymorphic allele. Presence of all three bands indicate a heterozygous genotype.
SNP designation Gene GSTM1 null=nullizygous WT=wild-type (positive) 0.99 0.28-3.51 GSTT1 null=nullizygous WT=wild-type (positive) 2.21 0.39-12.63

Figure 4. CYP1A1-T6235C-RFLP Allele-specific PCR-RFLP of CYP1A1T6235C SNP with MspI restriction endonuclease. A band at 340 bp represents wild-type/homozygous allele. Bands at 340 bp, 200 bp and 140 bp represents heterozygous allele, while bands at 200 bp and 140 bp indicate a homozygous polymorphic allele for that sample.
rs1695 GSTP1 (I105V, A>G) A/A=II A/G=IV G/G=VV 2.79 (A/G) 2.50 (G/G) 0.58-13.3 0.37-16.9 rs1138272 GSTP1 (A114V, C>T) C/C=AA C/T=AV T/T=VV 2.14 (T/T) 0.38-12.2 rs1056827 CYP1B1 (A119S, G>T) G/G=AA G/T=AS T/T=SS 0.77 0.14-3.70 rs1056836 CYP1B1 (L432V, C>G) C/C=LL C/G=LV G/G=VV 2.33 0.64-8.54

Methodology
42 Female Hispanic participants

P4.03

Genotype

BxPc-3

O.R. 95% CI

DNA extractions from Oragene kits1

1. Oragene Kits

Figure 5. CYP1A1-T6235C Sequence Analysis Chromatogram showing the coded sequence. Each sample was analyzed for polymorphism at a single nucleotide position for select xenobiotic-metabolizing genes. In this example, CYP1A1 (T6235C) gene polymorphism (rs4646903) was assessed at nucleotide 6235 of the gene locus. from the CTG Resistant (T13)Deviation MDA-MB-231 Mitochondria allele indicates the variant allele which has been associated with increased risk for breast cancer in combination with high serum levels of DDT. The red arrow indicates the base pair mutation site: CTGCCG.

Table 1. SNP Summary.

Twenty-six breast cancer cases and 16 control participants were analysed. Null genotype for GSTT1 and rs1695, rs1138272, rs1056836 polymorphisms were associated with increased risk (Odds Ratio > 1) for breast cancer. The interaction of endosulfan exposure and GSTM1 null (indicative of complete loss of function to detoxify chemical substrates) gave an O.R. = 13.5, thus a significant increase in risk for developing breast cancer (data not shown). However, due to small numbers, neither point estimate was statistically significant and confidence intervals were very wide.

PCR using annealing primers2

PCR product goes to 1 of 3 paths

2. Thermal Cycler

3. Sequence Chromatograph

Discussion & Future Directions

(A) Sequencing3 (B) Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism with gel electrophoresis4
GSTM1 null No significant correlation with breast cancer risk (O.R.=0.99, 95% CI=0.28-3.51) unless associated with Endosulphan exposure. GSTT1 null Breast cancer risk doubled (O.R.=2.21, 95% CI=0.39-12.63) GSTP1 (I105V) & (A114V) Elevated risk of breast cancer in the heterozygous or homozygous variant allele. CYP1B1 (A119S) No significant association with breast cancer risk (O.R.=0.77, 95% CI=0.14-3.70) (V432L) Elevated risk of breast cancer (O.R.=2.33, 95% CI=0.64-8.54) suggesting that women carrying the homozygous Val allele had higher risk than those women with the Leu/Leu genotype. Prostate cancer risk will be analyzed similarly to the breast cancer study for comparative analysis of GSTM1, GSTT1, CYP1A1, and CYP1B1. In addition, we will investigate methylation status to examine epigenetic changes using the PyroMarkQ24 pyrosequencing instrument at the Fresno State RIMI Functional Genomics & Proteomics Facility. Although this study is of low volume of participants, it indicates that it is feasible to identify, trace, consent and recruit Hispanics in the San Joaquin Valley of California who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer or prostate cancer.

4. Restriction Digest

5. Electrophoresis

(C) Gel Electrophoresis5 Analysis of gel electrophoresis6 and sequence chromatogram (Figure 5, 6, 7)
6a. RFLP Results 6b. PCR Results

Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program (#14IB-0032) and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure (#DISPO707183) to P.K.M. The study was possible with the collaboration of the United Farm Workers, and Ms. Jennifer Dodge and Kristine Ongaigui at UCSF-Fresno.