Plasma carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol levels and the risk of ovarian cancer

Nan Hee Jeong, Eun Seop Song, Jong Min Lee, Kwang Beom Lee, Mi Kyung Kim, Ji Eun Cheon, Jae Kwan Lee, Sung Kyong Son, Jung Pil Lee, Jae Hoon Kim, Soo Young Hur, Yong Il Kwon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective. We investigated the relation between plasma carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol levels and ovarian cancer risk in Korean women. Design. Hospital-based case-control study. Setting. Six tertiary medical institutes in Korea. Population. Forty-five epithelial ovarian cancers and 135 age-matched controls. Methods. Preoperative plasma concentrations of -carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin plus lutein, retinol, -tocopherol, and -tocopherol were measured by reverse-phase, gradient high-pressure liquid chromatography. Main outcome measures. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated by tertiles to evaluate the effect of micronutrients on endometrial cancer risk after adjustment for body mass (BMI) index, menopause, parity, oral contraceptive use, smoking status, and alcohol consumption status. Results. Women in the highest tertile for -carotene had 0.12-times the risk of ovarian cancer of in the lowest tertile (OR 0.12; 95%CI 0.04-0.36). Women with the highest tertiles of lycopene (OR 0.09; 95%CI 0.03-0.32), zeaxanthin/lutein (OR 0.21; 95%CI 0.09-0.52), retinol (OR 0.45; 95%CI 0.21-0.98), -tocopherol (OR 0.23; 95%CI 0.10-0.53) and -tocopherol (OR 0.28; 95%CI 0.11-0.70) had lower risk of ovarian cancer than women in the lowest tertiles. Results were consistent across strata of socio-epidemiologic factors. Conclusions. Micronutrients, specifically ss-carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin, lutein, retinol, -tocopherol, and -tocopherol, may play a role in reducing the risk of ovarian cancer.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)457-462
Number of pages6
JournalActa Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
Volume88
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Carotenoids
  • ovarian cancer
  • tocopherol
  • vitamin A

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Plasma carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol levels and the risk of ovarian cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this