This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Alberg, A. J. Articles by Helzlsouer, K. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Alberg, A. J. Articles by Helzlsouer, K. J.

The Risk of Cervical Cancer in Relation to Serum Concentrations of Folate, Vitamin B₁₂, and Homocysteine¹

Departments of Epidemiology [A. J. A., G. W. C., K. J. H.] and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology [K. V. S.], Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205; Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 [J. S.]; and Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205 [R. P. V.]

Due to its role in the synthesis and repair of DNA, folate may protect against the development of cervical cancer. Prospective data on the possible association between folate and cervical cancer have been lacking. There is also a paucity of prospective evidence concerning the possible associations between cervical cancer and vitamin B₁₂, which shares pathways with folate, and homocysteine, a marker of low B vitamin concentrations. A nested case-control study was conducted to prospectively evaluate the associations between cervical cancer and serum concentrations of folate, vitamin B₁₂, and homocysteine. Among a community-based cohort of women who donated blood in 1974 for a serum bank in Washington County, Maryland, 39 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed between 1975 and mid-1990 were included in the study (13 cases of invasive cervical cancer and 26 cases of carcinoma in situ). Two controls were matched to each case by age, race, and sex. Stored serum from the cases and controls was assayed for folate, B₁₂, and homocysteine concentrations. For folate, adjusted odds ratios were 1.0, 0.62, and 0.60 for the low to high thirds of the serum concentrations, respectively, a trend in the protective direction that was not statistically significant (P for trend = 0.42). Overall, the results for vitamin B₁₂ tended to mimic those for folate, whereas the associations for homocysteine tended to be in the opposite direction. None of the results of this study were statistically significant, but patterns of the associations are in accord with hypothesized mechanistic pathways concerning B vitamins and cervical cancer.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Bibliography of Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Am. J. Epidemiol., August 20, 2008; (2008) kwn247v1. [PDF]

				M. Ryan-Harshman and W. Aldoori Vitamin B12 and health Can Fam Physician, April 1, 2008; 54(4): 536 - 541. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Wang, Q. Ke, W. Chen, J. Wang, Y. Tan, Y. Zhou, Z. Hua, W. Ding, J. Niu, J. Shen, et al. Polymorphisms of MTHFD, Plasma Homocysteine Levels, and Risk of Gastric Cancer in a High-Risk Chinese Population Clin. Cancer Res., April 15, 2007; 13(8): 2526 - 2532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Lim, S. Weinstein, D. Albanes, P. Pietinen, L. Teerenhovi, P. R. Taylor, J. Virtamo, and R. Stolzenberg-Solomon Dietary factors of one-carbon metabolism in relation to non-hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma in a cohort of male smokers. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., June 1, 2006; 15(6): 1109 - 1114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Cho, S. H Zeisel, P. Jacques, J. Selhub, L. Dougherty, G. A Colditz, and W. C Willett Dietary choline and betaine assessed by food-frequency questionnaire in relation to plasma total homocysteine concentration in the Framingham Offspring Study. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2006; 83(4): 905 - 911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Orjuela, L. Titievsky, X. Liu, M. Ramirez-Ortiz, V. Ponce-Castaneda, E. Lecona, E. Molina, K. Beaverson, D. H. Abramson, and N. E. Mueller Fruit and Vegetable Intake during Pregnancy and Risk for Development of Sporadic Retinoblastoma Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., June 1, 2005; 14(6): 1433 - 1440. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Mandelblatt, W. F. Lawrence, L. Gaffikin, K. K. Limpahayom, P. Lumbiganon, S. Warakamin, J. King, B. Yi, P. Ringers, and P. D. Blumenthal Costs and Benefits of Different Strategies to Screen for Cervical Cancer in Less-Developed Countries J Natl Cancer Inst, October 2, 2002; 94(19): 1469 - 1483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. G. Ziegler, S. J. Weinstein, and T. R. Fears Nutritional and Genetic Inefficiencies in One-Carbon Metabolism and Cervical Cancer Risk J. Nutr., August 1, 2002; 132(8): 2345S - 2349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. Sedjo, P. Inserra, M. Abrahamsen, R. B. Harris, D. J. Roe, S. Baldwin, and A. R. Giuliano Human Papillomavirus Persistence and Nutrients Involved in the Methylation Pathway among a Cohort of Young Women Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2002; 11(4): 353 - 359. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. J. Weinstein, G. Gridley, L. C. Harty, S. R. Diehl, L. M. Brown, D. M. Winn, E. Bravo-Otero, and R. B. Hayes Folate Intake, Serum Homocysteine and Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) C677T Genotype Are Not Associated with Oral Cancer Risk in Puerto Rico J. Nutr., April 1, 2002; 132(4): 762 - 767. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Goodman, K. McDuffie, B. Hernandez, L. R. Wilkens, C. C. Bertram, J. Killeen, L. Le Marchand, J. Selhub, S. Murphy, and T. A. Donlon Association of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphism C677T and Dietary Folate with the Risk of Cervical Dysplasia Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., December 1, 2001; 10(12): 1275 - 1280. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. J. Weinstein, R. G. Ziegler, E. A. Frongillo Jr., N. Colman, H. E. Sauberlich, L. A. Brinton, R. F. Hamman, R. S. Levine, K. Mallin, P. D. Stolley, et al. Low Serum and Red Blood Cell Folate Are Moderately, but Nonsignificantly Associated with Increased Risk of Invasive Cervical Cancer in U.S. Women J. Nutr., July 1, 2001; 131(7): 2040 - 2048. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]