Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25067956›Full record

ArticleGenome medicine2014

A BRCA1-mutation associated DNA methylation signature in blood cells predicts sporadic breast cancer incidence and survival.

Shahzia Anjum, Evangelia-Ourania Fourkala, Michal Zikan, Andrew Wong, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Allison Jones, Rebecca Hardy, David Cibula, Diana Kuh, Ian J Jacobs and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genome medicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 64 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Genes · 2026
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  10. Peripheral bloodJournal of gynecologic oncology · 2021
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  11. Comments on: Peripheral bloodJournal of gynecologic oncology · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Shahzia AnjumDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK.
Evangelia-Ourania FourkalaDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK.
Michal ZikanGynecological Oncology Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charles University in Prague - First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Apolinarska 18, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
Andrew WongMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, 33 Bedford Place, London WC1B 5JU, UK.
Aleksandra Gentry-MaharajDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK.
Allison JonesDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK.
Rebecca HardyMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, 33 Bedford Place, London WC1B 5JU, UK.
David CibulaGynecological Oncology Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charles University in Prague - First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Apolinarska 18, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
Diana KuhMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, 33 Bedford Place, London WC1B 5JU, UK.
Ian J JacobsDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK ; Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9NT, UK.
Andrew E TeschendorffStatistical Genomics Group, Paul O'Gorman Building, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK ; CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Usha MenonDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK.
Martin WidschwendterDepartment of Women's Cancer, UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 74 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6 AU, UK.
University College London · GBCharles University · CZMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing · GBGenomics England · GBUniversity of Manchester · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G0801228Medical Research Council G9901012Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBRCA1 mutation carriers have an 85% risk of developing breast cancer but the risk of developing non-hereditary breast cancer is difficult to assess. Our objective is to test whether a DNA methylation (DNAme) signature derived from BRCA1 mutation carriers is able to predict non-hereditary breast cancer.

methodsIn a case/control setting (72 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 72 BRCA1/2 wild type controls) blood cell DNA samples were profiled on the Illumina 27 k methylation array. Using the Elastic Net classification algorithm, a BRCA1-mutation DNAme signature was derived and tested in two cohorts: (1) The NSHD (19 breast cancers developed within 12 years after sample donation and 77 controls) and (2) the UKCTOCS trial (119 oestrogen receptor positive breast cancers developed within 5 years after sample donation and 122 controls).

resultsWe found that our blood-based BRCA1-mutation DNAme signature applied to blood cell DNA from women in the NSHD resulted in a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.65 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.78, P = 0.02) which did not validate in buccal cells from the same individuals. Applying the signature in blood DNA from UKCTOCS volunteers resulted in AUC of 0.57 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.64; P = 0.03) and is independent of family history or any other known risk factors. Importantly the BRCA1-mutation DNAme signature was able to predict breast cancer mortality (AUC = 0.67; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.83; P = 0.02). We also found that the 1,074 CpGs which are hypermethylated in BRCA1 mutation carriers are significantly enriched for stem cell polycomb group target genes (P <10(-20)).

conclusionsA DNAme signature derived from BRCA1 carriers is able to predict breast cancer risk and death years in advance of diagnosis. Future studies may need to focus on DNAme profiles in epithelial cells in order to reach the AUC thresholds required of preventative measures or early detection strategies.

Identifiers

PMID25067956
PMCPMC4110671
OpenAlexW2167202039

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.