![[주말엔 건강] Osteoporosis and ovarian cancer plague women, new facts reveal one after another](http://img.lb.inews24.com/facebookexternalhit/face/626x352/image_gisa/202102/1614335254481_1_192810.jpg "[주말엔 건강] Osteoporosis and ovarian cancer plague women, new facts reveal one after another")
[아이뉴스24 정종오 기자] Osteoporosis and ovarian cancer are distressing diseases for women. Osteoporosis is acutely worsened by hormonal changes in menopausal women. It is also the reason why a fall of an older woman leads to a major accident.
It is known that about half of ovarian cancers are caused by mutations in the BRCA gene. A domestic research team recently discovered that in addition to these genetic mutations, there are new risk factors due to a family history of cancer. It is expected to help predict the risk of ovarian cancer.
◆Cadmium↑, up to 3.6 times higher risk of osteoporosis
Modern society is exposed to harmful substances without even knowing it. Cadmium is a representative hazardous substance. Cadmium accumulates in our body through smoking and food. It is difficult to avoid exposure to cadmium in daily life because it is accumulated through fine dust. When cadmium accumulates in the body, problems with kidney function, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D metabolism, which are involved in bone formation, can occur.
In menopausal women with low bone density, efforts are needed to prevent cadmium exposure. Bone mineral density reaches its peak around age 35 and gradually decreases. In women, bone mineral density decreases very rapidly as menopause occurs around the age of 50. Overseas, studies on the relationship between blood cadmium and bone mineral density in menopausal women are being actively conducted.
Jaseng Oriental Hospital Spine and Joint Research Institute (Director Inhyuk Ha) Kim Eun-san’s research team analyzed the effect of cadmium in the blood on osteoporosis and osteopenia in Korean menopausal women. As a result, as the blood cadmium concentration increased, the risk of osteoporosis increased by up to 3.63 times based on Odds Ratio (OR).
The research team selected 1031 menopausal women over the age of 50 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (2008-2011) as subjects for the study. In order to confirm their diagnosis of osteoporosis and osteopenia, the’T-score’ was used, which is based on the difference between the average BMD and the difference in healthy young adults.
If the T-score is’-2.5′ or less, it is defined as osteoporosis, and if it is’-2.5~-1.0′, it is defined as osteopenia. Blood cadmium was directly extracted from the patient’s blood and tested, and the concentration was divided into quartiles. The lowest level was divided into the first quintile, ▲ the low level, the second quintile, the high level, the third quintile, and the highest level, the quartile.
The research team calculated an odds ratio to confirm the relationship between blood cadmium and osteoporosis. The odds ratio value is used to verify the degree to which the difference in probability of occurrence of a specific event is significant when comparing groups. In this study, the higher the odds ratio, the greater the risk of bone mineral density disease.
As a result of the analysis, when the blood cadmium concentration was in the third quartile, the risk of bone mineral density disease was greatest. The risk of osteoporosis was 3.63 times (OR=3.63) higher. The risk of osteopenia increased by 3.22 times (OR=3.22). However, when cadmium in the blood was in the quartile, the risk of bone mineral density disease was lowered. This seems to be because the study subjects in the quartile took osteoporosis drugs.
When all patients taking osteoporosis drugs were included as osteoporosis patients, the difference in odds ratio between the third and fourth quartiles decreased. Based on the findings, the researchers found that cadmium increased the risk of bone mineral density in menopausal women.
Kim Eun-san, an oriental medicine doctor at Jaseng Oriental Medicine Hospital, said, “Through this study, we have confirmed that there is a relationship between blood cadmium levels and osteoporosis.” I said. The research results were published in the January issue of the international journal’Archives of Osteoporosis’.
◆In addition to ovarian cancer and genetic mutation, there are new risk factors related to a family history of cancer
About half of ovarian cancers are caused by mutations in the BRCA gene. In addition to this gene abnormality, a domestic research team found that there are new risk factors due to a family history of cancer.
Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor Yoon-jin Choi, clinical lecturer Yu-yeon Jeong, and Prof. Myung-Shin Kim of the Genetic Diagnostic Test Center proved that’BRCA1 methylation’ increases when there is a family history of cancer even if there is no BRCA gene mutation, so’BRCA1 methylation’ is a risk factor for ovarian cancer. did.
The research team divided the analysis targets into an ovarian cancer group and a normal group, and cross-analyzed them according to BRCA gene mutations and cancer family history. For DNA analysis, blood collected through the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital Human Derivatives Bank and Obstetrics and Gynecology was used. The family history of cancer was defined as the case of breast, ovarian, or pancreatic cancer known to be associated with a BRCA gene mutation among parents and siblings.
As a result of the study, BRCA1 methylation was significantly increased in the group with a family history of cancer as compared to the group without a family history of cancer.
DNA methylation is an epigenetic change caused by the addition of a methyl group (CH3) to C (cytosine) of CG, a double nucleotide in the DNA sequence. Changes in methylation in DNA affect gene expression. It is known to play an important role in the development of cancer cells.
Ovarian cancer is well known as a genetic disorder. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie also underwent surgery to remove her ovaries beforehand. The presence of a BRCA1 gene mutation increases your chances of developing ovarian cancer by 40 to 60 percent throughout your life. The presence of the BRCA2 mutation is known to increase by 11-30%.
Ovarian cancer has a lower incidence compared to breast cancer or cervical cancer, which are representative gynecological cancers. On the other hand, the mortality rate is the highest at 50-60%. This is because the disease is often found in an advanced state without symptoms until it has progressed considerably.
Professor Choi Yoon-jin said, “If ovarian cancer occurs, it is difficult to cure gynecological cancer, and 75% of patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of stage 3 or more.” It seems to be possible, and research on practical use is necessary.”
The research results were published in the online edition of the January 7th’Journal of Gynecologic Oncology’.
Reporter Jeong Jong-oh [email protected]