The Effects of Lifetime Estrogen Exposure on Breast Epigenetic Age

Estrogens are thought to contribute to breast cancer risk through cell cycling and accelerated breast aging. We hypothesize that lifetime estrogen exposure drives early epigenetic breast aging observed in healthy women. In this study, we examined associations between hormonal factors and epigenetic aging measures in healthy breast tissues.

Earlier age at menarche and higher BMI are associated with elevations in DNA methylation-based age estimates in healthy breast tissues, suggesting that cumulative estrogen exposure drives breast epigenetic aging. Impact: Epigenetic clock measures may help advance inquiry into the relationship between accelerated breast tissue aging and an elevated incidence of breast cancer in younger women.

We extracted DNA from breast tissue specimens from 192 healthy female donors to the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank at the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center. Methylation experiments were performed using the Illumina EPIC 850K array platform. Age-adjusted regression models were used to examine for associations between factors related to estrogen exposure and five DNA methylation-based estimates: Grim age, pan-tissue age, Hannum age, phenotypic age, and skin and blood clock age.

Women were aged 19-90 years, with 95 premenopausal, and 97 nulliparous women. The age difference (Grim age - chronologic age) was higher at earlier ages close to menarche. We found significant associations between earlier age at menarche and age-adjusted accelerations according to the Grim clock, the skin and blood clock, and between higher body mass index (BMI) and age-adjusted accelerations in the Grim clock, Hannum clock, phenotypic clock, and skin and blood clock. Conclusions: Earlier age at menarche and higher BMI are associated with elevations in DNA methylation-based age estimates in healthy breast tissues, suggesting that cumulative estrogen exposure drives breast epigenetic aging. Impact: Epigenetic clock measures may help advance inquiry into the relationship between accelerated breast tissue aging and an elevated incidence of breast cancer in younger women.