Association between Apolipoprotein L1 genetic variants and risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth among U.S. Black women.

Background: Preeclampsia and preterm birth disproportionally affects Black women, but the current understanding of genetic predisposition to preeclampsia and preterm birth is rudimentary. It has been hypothesized that carriers of high-risk genetic variants in the apolipoprotein L1 gene () may have an increased risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth. These genetic variants are found only among individuals of recent African ancestry.

Refining breast cancer genetic risk and biology through multi-ancestry fine-mapping analyses of 192 risk regions.

Genome-wide association studies have identified approximately 200 genetic risk loci for breast cancer, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known breast cancer risk loci using genome-wide association study data from 172,737 female breast cancer cases and 242,009 controls of African, Asian and European ancestry. We identified 332 independent association signals for breast cancer risk, including 131 signals not reported previously, and for 50 of them, we narrowed the credible causal variants down to a single variant.

Perceived Experiences of racism in Relation to Genome-Wide DNA Methylation and Epigenetic Aging in the Black Women's Health Study.

Background: African American women have a disproportionate burden of disease compared to US non-Hispanic white women. Exposure to psychosocial stressors may contribute to these health disparities. Racial discrimination, a major stressor for African American women, could affect health through epigenetic mechanisms.

Body size and risk of multiple myeloma in the Black Women's Health Study.

Background: Obesity is an established risk factor for multiple myeloma (MM). Relatively few prior studies, however, have evaluated associations in Black populations.

Methods: Among 55,276 participants in the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective U.

Addition of polygenic risk score to a risk calculator for prediction of breast cancer in US Black women.

Background: Previous work in European ancestry populations has shown that adding a polygenic risk score (PRS) to breast cancer risk prediction models based on epidemiologic factors results in better discriminatory performance as measured by the AUC (area under the curve). Following publication of the first PRS to perform well in women of African ancestry (AA-PRS), we conducted an external validation of the AA-PRS and then evaluated the addition of the AA-PRS to a risk calculator for incident breast cancer in Black women based on epidemiologic factors (BWHS model).

Methods: Data from the Black Women's Health Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of 59,000 US Black women followed by biennial questionnaire since 1995, were used to calculate AUCs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for discriminatory accuracy of the BWHS model, the AA-PRS alone, and a new model that combined them.

Psychosocial stressors and breast cancer gene expression in the Black Women's Health Study.

Purpose: Prior studies indicate that the physiologic response to stress can affect gene expression. We evaluated differential gene expression in breast cancers collected from Black women with high versus low exposure to psychosocial stressors.

Methods: We analyzed tumor RNA sequencing data from 417 Black Women's Health Study breast cancer cases with data on early life trauma and neighborhood disadvantage.

Vitamin D and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) among U.S. Black women.

Purpose: Risk factors for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), the asymptomatic precursor to multiple myeloma, are largely unknown. We hypothesized that low vitamin D levels might be associated with higher MGUS prevalence in a national cohort of U.S.

Pre-treatment Amino Acids and Risk of Paclitaxel-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in SWOG S0221.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a treatment-limiting and debilitating neurotoxicity of many commonly used anti-cancer agents, including paclitaxel. The objective of this study was to confirm the previously found inverse association between pre-treatment blood concentrations of histidine and CIPN occurrence and examine relationships of other amino acids with CIPN severity.

Methods: Pre-treatment levels of 20 amino acid concentrations were measured via a targeted mass spectrometry assay in banked serum from the SWOG S0221 (NCT00070564) trial of patients with early-stage breast cancer receiving paclitaxel.

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).

Adherence to Cancer Prevention Lifestyle Recommendations Before, During, and 2 Years After Treatment for High-risk Breast Cancer.

Importance: The American Institute for Cancer Research and American Cancer Society regularly publish modifiable lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention. Whether these recommendations have an impact on high-risk breast cancer survival remains unknown.

Objective: To investigate whether adherence to cancer prevention recommendations before, during, and 1 and 2 years after breast cancer treatment was associated with disease recurrence or mortality.

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).

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).

Associations between quantitative measures of TDLU involution and breast tumor molecular subtypes among breast cancer cases in the Black Women's Health Study: a case-case analysis.

Background: Terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs) are the structures in the breast that give rise to most breast cancers. Previous work has shown that TDLU involution is inversely associated with TDLU metrics, such as TDLU count/100mm, TDLU span (µm), and number of acini/TDLU, and that these metrics may be elevated in the normal breast tissue of women diagnosed with triple-negative (TN) compared with luminal A breast tumors. It is unknown whether this relationship exists in Black women, who have the highest incidence of TN breast cancer and the highest overall breast cancer mortality rate.

Polygenic risk scores for prediction of breast cancer risk in women of African ancestry: a cross-ancestry approach.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are useful for predicting breast cancer risk, but the prediction accuracy of existing PRSs in women of African ancestry (AA) remains relatively low. We aim to develop optimal PRSs for the prediction of overall and estrogen receptor (ER) subtype-specific breast cancer risk in AA women. The AA dataset comprised 9235 cases and 10 184 controls from four genome-wide association study (GWAS) consortia and a GWAS study in Ghana.

Neighborhood disadvantage and individual-level life stressors in relation to breast cancer incidence in US Black women.

Background: Research on psychosocial stress and risk of breast cancer has produced conflicting results. Few studies have assessed this relation by breast cancer subtype or specifically among Black women, who experience unique chronic stressors.

Methods: We used prospective data from the Black Women's Health Study, an ongoing cohort study of 59,000 US Black women, to assess neighborhood- and individual-level psychosocial factors in relation to risk of breast cancer.

A Validated Risk Prediction Model for Breast Cancer in US Black Women.

Purpose: Breast cancer risk prediction models are used to identify high-risk women for early detection, targeted interventions, and enrollment into prevention trials. We sought to develop and evaluate a risk prediction model for breast cancer in US Black women, suitable for use in primary care settings.

Methods: Breast cancer relative risks and attributable risks were estimated using data from Black women in three US population-based case-control studies (3,468 breast cancer cases; 3,578 controls age 30-69 years) and combined with SEER age- and race-specific incidence rates, with incorporation of competing mortality, to develop an absolute risk model.