BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, oral contraceptive use, and breast cancer before age 50.

Background: Understanding the effect of oral contraceptives on risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers is important because oral contraceptive use is a common, modifiable practice.

Methods: We studied 497 BRCA1 and 307 BRCA2 mutation carriers, of whom 195 and 128, respectively, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Case-control analyses were conducted using unconditional logistic regression with adjustments for family history and familial relationships and were restricted to subjects with a reference age under 50 years.

A Bacteriocin Produced by Pediococcus Species Associated with a 5.5-Megadalton Plasmid.

Agarose gel electrophoresis of plasmid DNA and plasmid-curing experiments suggested that bacteriocin activity was harbored on a plasmid of approximately 5.5 megadaltons (Mdal) in Pediococcus acidilactici PO2, B5627 and PC, and Pediococcus pentosaceus MC-03. Bacteria that were sensitive to the bacteriocin included other pediococci, Leuconostoc mesenteroides , Streptococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes .