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Both genetic and dietary factors underlie individual differences in DNA damage levels ...



Slyskova, J., Lorenzo, Y., Karlsen, A., Carlsen, M. H., Novosadova, V., Blomhoff, R., Vodicka, P., Collins, A. R. Both genetic and dietary factors underlie individual differences in DNA damage levels and DNA repair capacity. DNA Repair, 16(2014): 66-73, 2014. doi: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2014.01.016. ISSN 1568-7864.

Abstract

The interplay between dietary habits and individual genetic make-up is assumed to influence risk of cancer, via modulation of DNA integrity. Our aim was to characterize internal and external factors that underlie inter-individual variability in DNA damage and repair and to identify dietary habits beneficial for maintaining DNA integrity.

Habitual diet was estimated in 340 healthy individuals using a food frequency questionnaire and biomarkers of antioxidant status were quantified in fasting blood samples. Markers of DNA integrity were represented by DNA strand breaks, oxidized purines, oxidized pyrimidines and a sum of all three as total DNA damage. DNA repair was characterized by genetic variants and functional activities of base and nucleotide excision repair pathways.

Sex, fruit-based food consumption and XPG genotype were factors significantly associated with the level of DNA damage. DNA damage was higher in women (p = 0.035). Fruit consumption was negatively associated with the number of all measured DNA lesions, and this effect was mediated mostly by β-cryptoxanthin and β-tocopherol (p < 0.05). XPG1104His homozygotes appeared more vulnerable to DNA damage accumulation (p = 0.001). Sex and individual antioxidants were also associated with DNA repair capacity; both the base and nucleotide excision repairs were lower in women and the latter increased with higher plasma levels of ascorbic acid and α-carotene (p < 0.05).

We have determined genetic and dietary factors that modulate DNA integrity. We propose that the positive health effect of fruit intake is partially mediated via DNA damage suppression and a simultaneous increase in DNA repair capacity.