Choline (egg yolks) & BC

FloridaLady

 I found some interesting research on this. 

Choline metabolism and risk of breast cancer in a population-based study

Xinran Xu, Marilie D. Gammon, Steven H. Zeisel, Yin Leng Lee, James G. Wetmur, Susan L. Teitelbaum, Patrick T. Bradshaw, Alfred I. Neugut, Regina M. Santella, and Jia Chen

E-mail contact: jia.chen@mssm.edu

Choline is an essential nutrient required for methyl group metabolism,but its role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression is notwell understood. By utilizing a population-based study of 1508cases and 1556 controls, we investigated the associations ofdietary intake of choline and two related micronutrients, methionineand betaine, and risk of breast cancer. The highest quintileof choline consumption was associated with a lower risk of breastcancer [odds ratio (OR): 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI):0.58-1.00] compared with the lowest quintile. Two putativelyfunctional single nucleotide polymorphisms of choline-metabolizinggenes, PEMT -774G>C (rs12325817) and CHDH +432G>T (rs12676),were also found be related to breast cancer risk. Compared withthe PEMT GG genotype, the variant CC genotype was associatedwith an increased risk of breast cancer (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.01-1.67).The CHDH minor T allele was also associated with an increasedrisk (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.00-1.41) compared with the majorG allele. The BHMT rs3733890 polymorphism was also examinedbut was found not to be associated with breast cancer risk.We observed a significant interaction between dietary betaineintake and the PEMT rs7926 polymorphism (P_interaction=0.04).Our findings suggest that choline metabolism may play an importantrole in breast cancer etiology.-Xu, X., Gammon, M. D.,Zeisel, S. H., Lee, Y. L., Wetmur, J. G., Teitelbaum, S. L.,Bradshaw, P. T., Neugut, A. I., Santella, R. M., Chen, J. Cholinemetabolism and risk of breast cancer in a population-based study

FloridaLady

Eating Eggs When Pregnant Affects Breast Cancer In Offspring

ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2008) - A stunning discovery based on epigenetics (the inheritance of propensities acquired in the womb) reveals that consuming choline-a nutrient found in eggs and other foods-during pregnancy may significantly affect breast cancer outcomes for a mother's offspring.

This finding by a team of biologists at Boston University is the first to link choline consumption during pregnancy to breast cancer. It also is the first to identify possible choline-related genetic changes that affect breast cancer survival rates.

"We've known for a long time that some agents taken by pregnant women, such as diethylstibesterol, have adverse consequences for their daughters," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "But there's an upside. The emerging science of epigenetics has yielded a breakthrough. For the first time, we've learned that we might be able to prevent breast cancer as early as a mother's pregnancy."

The researchers made the discovery in rats by studying females whose mothers were fed varying amounts of choline during pregnancy. Different groups of pregnant rats received diets containing standard amounts of choline, no choline at all, or extra choline. Then the researchers treated the female offspring with a chemical that causes cancer of the mammary gland (breast cancer). Although animals in all groups developed mammary cancer, the daughters of mothers that had received extra choline during pregnancy had slow growing tumors while daughters of mothers that had no choline during pregnancy had fast growing tumors.

"Our study provides additional support for the notion that choline is an important nutrient that has to be considered when dietary guidelines are developed," said Krzysztof Blusztajn, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology at Boston University and the study's senior researcher. "We hope it will be possible to develop nutritional guidelines for pregnant women that ensure the good health of their offspring well into old age."

The researchers also found multiple genetic and molecular changes in the rats' tumors that correlated with survival outcomes. For example, the slow growing tumors in rats had a genetic pattern similar to those seen in breast cancers of women who are considered to have a good prognosis. The fast growing tumors in mice had a pattern of genetic changes similar to those seen in women with a more aggressive disease. The researchers also found evidence that these genetic changes may result from the way that choline affects modifications of the DNA within the mammary gland of fetuses as they develop in the womb.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be more than 184,000 new cases of breast cancer in 2008 and more than 40,000 deaths. Treatments for women suffering from breat cancer range from hormone therapy to surgery.

FloridaLady

Sponsors and Collaborators:	Norwegian University of Science and Technology The Norwegian Women's Public Health Association, Trondheim
Information provided by:	Norwegian University of Science and Technology
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00201487

  Purpose

Cholin has been found in increased concentration in breast cancer patients. Hypothesis: The choline signal as observed by MRS is sensitive to treatment, and a positive response to treatment will give a reduction in choline concentration.

The purpose of this study is to establish methods for quantification of choline in breastcancer by MRS

Condition
Breast Neoplasms

Genetics Home Reference related topics: breast cancer MedlinePlus related topics: Breast Cancer Cancer Drug Information available for: Choline U.S. FDA Resources

Study Type:	Observational
Study Design:	Prospective
Official Title:	Choline Quantification in Breast Cancer by MRS

Further study details as provided by Norwegian University of Science and Technology:

Estimated Enrollment:	10
Study Start Date:	November 2007
Estimated Study Completion Date:	June 2009

Detailed Description:

1. Establishment of new MRS sequence for choline quantification of choline. This sequence is choline-selective, and signals from water and lipids are suppressed simultaneously.
2. Compare to different methods for choline quantifiaction. The first method is quantification through an external phantom standard, containing a known concentration of choline. The other method is based on the utilisation of internal water signal as a reference.

Both calculations can be performed from the same MR exam. Ten patients will be included in the study

FloridaLady

Ok...How do I post when the article is in boxes and when I submit we get the garbage?

FloridaLady

Choline has only recently been recognized as an essential nutrient. Choline is part of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a major role in the brain; for this reason, many studies have been designed to look at choline's role in brain function.

Choline functions as a part of a major biochemical process in the body called methylation; choline acts as a methyl donor. Until recently, it was thought that the body could use other substances to substitute for choline, such as folate , vitamins B 6 and B 12 , and the amino acid methionine . But recent evidence has finally shown that, for some people, adequate choline supplies cannot be maintained by other nutrients and must be obtained independently through diet or supplements. ^1-3

Requirements/Sources

Choline is widespread in the foods we eat. The average diet provides about 500 mg to 1,000 mg of choline per day. ^2,4 Lecithin, a fatty constituent in foods, is a major source of choline; it is comprised mostly of a type of choline called phosphatidylcholine (PC). Lecithin and PC have been studied separately as treatments for a variety of illnesses; for more information on these supplements, see the full article on Lecithin .

According to US and Canadian guidelines, the recommended daily intake of choline is as follows:

• Infants
  • 0-6 months: 125 mg
  • 7-12 months: 150 mg
• Children
  • 1-3 years: 200 mg
  • 4-8 years: 250 mg
  • 9-13 years: 375 mg
• Males
  • 14 years and older: 550 mg
• Females
  • 14-18 years: 400 mg
  • 19 years and older: 425 mg
• Pregnant Women : 450 mg
• Nursing Women : 550 mg

Therapeutic Dosages

Most studies of choline as a treatment for diseases have used between 1-30 g of choline or choline-containing supplements per day. This wide range is due to the existence of several different types of choline supplements, all with varying amounts of the active ingredient.

Therapeutic Uses

A form of choline called choline alfoscerate has shown promise for Alzheimer's disease . ⁵

A substance related to choline called CDP-choline (or citicoline) may be slightly helpful for enhancing recovery from strokes . ⁶

Slight evidence hints that lecithin or pure choline may be helpful for people with bipolar disorder . ^7,29 Lecithin has failed to prove effective for tardive dyskinesia . ^8,9 Lecithin has also failed to prove effective for improving cholesterol profile levels. ^2,10

Some evidence suggests that individuals with HIV who are low in choline may experience more rapid disease progression. ¹¹ However, there is no direct evidence that choline supplements offer any benefit for people with HIV.

Numerous studies have found that diets very low in choline lead to impaired liver function. ^1,2,12-15 But these diets are contrived: One would have to work very hard to get so little choline in the diet! To what degree additional choline may benefit people with pre-existing liver damage is an area of ongoing research. In a double-blind study , use of phosphatidylcholine enhanced the effect of interferon in people with chronic hepatitis C, but not those with chronic hepatitis B. ¹⁶Open studies have yielded mixed results. ^17,18

Finally, there are theoretical reasons to believe that choline might have cancer-preventive properties. The notion stems from its function as a methyl donor. Methyl units are essential for RNA and DNA replication-a process ongoing in every cell of the body. The theory goes like this: Diets lacking sufficient methyl donors (such as choline) may cause an error in RNA or DNA synthesis, leading to a mutated gene and, hypothetically, to cancer initiation. ^1,19 Indeed, in rats fed diets very low in choline and other methyl donors, cancer rates increased. ^20,21 However, again it is a long step from the effects of an artificially low-choline diet to taking choline supplements.   

Choline as phosphatidylcholine may reduce homocysteine levels. ³⁰ This, in turn, might reduce heart disease risk, although the proposed homocysteine-heart disease connection remains far from proven. (See the High Homocysteine article for more information.)

What Is the Scientific Evidence for Choline?

Alzheimer's Disease

In a 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial , 261 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease were given either placebo or choline alfoscerate (a special form of choline) at a dose of 400 mg 3 times daily. ⁵ The results indicated that people receiving the supplement improved slightly over the course of the trial, while those given placebo worsened.

Weak evidence from highly preliminary studies hint that CDP-choline may improve mental function in Alzheimer's disease. ^22-25 Double-blind trials using lecithin as a source of choline failed to find benefit. ^26-28

Strokes

Four double-blind, placebo-controlled studies enrolling a total of 1,372 people have evaluated the potential effectiveness of CDP choline in the treatment of strokes . ⁶ Overall, the evidence suggests that use of CDP-choline in the immediate period following a stroke slightly improves the chances of full recovery.

Safety Issues

The tolerable upper intake of choline has been set at 3.5 g daily for adults. Tolerable upper intake is defined as: the highest daily intake over a prolonged time known to pose no risks to most members of a healthy population.

In higher dosages, minor but annoying side effects may occur, such as abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and nausea. Maximum safe dosages for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been determined.