Dietary Acrylamide Intake Research Articles

Effects of Fungicide Treatment on Free Amino Acid Concentration and Acrylamide-Forming Potential in Wheat.

Acrylamide forms from free asparagine and reducing sugars during frying, baking, roasting, or high-temperature processing, and cereal products are major contributors to dietary acrylamide intake. Free asparagine concentration is the determining factor for acrylamide-forming potential in cereals, and this study investigated the effect of fungicide application on free asparagine accumulation in wheat grain. Free amino acid concentrations were measured in flour from 47 varieties of wheat grown in a field trial in 2011-2012. The wheat had been supplied with nitrogen and sulfur and treated with growth regulators and fungicides. Acrylamide formation was measured after the flour had been heated at 180 °C for 20 min. Flour was also analyzed from 24 (of the 47) varieties grown in adjacent plots that were treated in identical fashion except that no fungicide was applied, resulting in visible infection by Septoria tritici, yellow rust, and brown rust. Free asparagine concentration in the fungicide-treated wheat ranged from 1.596 to 3.987 mmol kg-1, with a significant (p < 0.001 to p = 0.006, F test) effect of variety for not only free asparagine but all of the free amino acids apart from cysteine and ornithine. There was also a significant (p < 0.001, F test) effect of variety on acrylamide formation, which ranged from 134 to 992 μg kg-1. There was a significant (p < 0.001, F test) correlation between free asparagine concentration and acrylamide formation. Both free asparagine concentration and acrylamide formation increased in response to a lack of fungicide treatment, the increases in acrylamide ranging from 2.7 to 370%. Free aspartic acid concentration also increased, whereas free glutamic acid concentration increased in some varieties but decreased in others, and free proline concentration decreased. The study showed disease control by fungicide application to be an important crop management measure for mitigating the problem of acrylamide formation in wheat products.

The influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms on the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer risk.

It is unclear whether the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer risk as observed in some epidemiological studies reflects a causal relationship. We aimed at clarifying the causality by analyzing acrylamide-gene interactions for endometrial cancer risk. The prospective Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer includes 62,573 women, aged 55–69 years. At baseline, a random subcohort of 2589 women was selected for a case cohort analysis approach. Acrylamide intake of subcohort members and endometrial cancer cases (n = 315) was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes in acrylamide metabolism, sex steroid systems, oxidative stress and DNA repair were assessed through a MassARRAY iPLEX Platform. Interaction between acrylamide and SNPs was assessed with Cox proportional hazards analysis, based on 11.3 years of follow-up. Among the results for 57 SNPs and 2 gene deletions, there were no statistically significant interactions after adjustment for multiple testing. However, there were nominally statistically significant interactions for SNPs in acrylamide-metabolizing enzymes: CYP2E1 (rs915906 and rs2480258) and the deletions of GSTM1 and GSTT1. Although in need of confirmation, the interactions between acrylamide intake and CYP2E1 SNPs contribute to the evidence for a causal relationship between acrylamide and endometrial cancer risk.

Acrylamide-forming potential of potatoes grown at different locations, and the ratio of free asparagine to reducing sugars at which free asparagine becomes a limiting factor for acrylamide formation.

Acrylamide is produced from free asparagine and reducing sugars during high-temperature cooking and food processing, and potato products are major contributors to dietary acrylamide intake. The present study analysed twenty varieties of potatoes grown at two sites (Doncaster and Woburn) in the United Kingdom to assess the effect of location of cultivation on acrylamide-forming potential. Analysis of variance revealed a full site by variety nested within type (French fry, boiling and crisping) by storage interaction for acrylamide (p<0.003, F-test), reducing sugars and total sugars (p<0.001, F-test). There was much greater free asparagine in potatoes grown at the Doncaster site compared with the Woburn site. Modelling of the relationship between the ratio of free asparagine to reducing sugars and the levels of acrylamide identified a value of 2.257±0.149 as the tipping point in the ratio below which free asparagine concentration could affect acrylamide formation.

Dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy and anthropometry at birth in the French EDEN mother-child cohort study

Background and aimAcrylamide is a contaminant formed in a wide variety of carbohydrate-containing foods during frying or baking at high temperatures. Recent studies have suggested reduced foetal growth after exposure to high levels of acrylamide during pregnancy. ObjectiveTo study the relationship between maternal dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy and their offspring’s anthropometry at birth. DesignIn our population of 1471 mother-child pairs from two French cities, Nancy and Poitiers, dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy was assessed by combining maternal food frequency questionnaires with data on food contamination at the national level, provided by the second “French Total Diet Study”. Newborns weighing less than the 10th percentile, according to a customised definition, were defined as small for gestational age (SGA). Linear and logistic regression models were used to study continuous and binary outcomes respectively, adjusting for the study centre, maternal age at delivery, height, education, parity, smoking during pregnancy, the newborn’s gestational age at birth and sex. ResultsThe median and interquartile range of dietary acrylamide intake were 19.2μg/day (IQR, 11.8;30.3). Each 10μg/day increase in acrylamide intake was associated with an odds-ratio for SGA of 1.11 (95% Confidence Interval: 1.03,1.21), birth length change of −0.05cm (95% CI: −0.11,0.00) and birth weight change of −9.8g (95% CI: −21.3,1.7). ConclusionsOur results, consistent with both experimental and epidemiological studies, add to the evidence of an effect of acrylamide exposure on the risk of SGA and suggest an effect on foetal growth, for both weight and length.

Dietary Acrylamide and the Risk of Endometrial Cancer: An Italian Case-Control

abstractThe role of dietary acrylamide on the risk of hormone-related, and specifically endometrial, cancers is debated. Epidemiological data are scanty. Thus, we examined the relation between acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer risk in a case-control study conducted between 1992 and 2006 in 3 Italian areas. Cases were 454 women with incident, histologically confirmed endometrial cancer. Controls were 908 age-matched women admitted to the same network of hospitals of cases for acute, non-neoplastic conditions. We calculated multivariate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression models. The OR of endometrial cancer for increasing quintiles of dietary acrylamide, as compared to the lowest one, were 1.02 (95% CI: 0.67–1.54), 1.20 (95% CI: 0.80–1.80), 1.00 (95% CI: 0.65–1.54) and 1.17 (95% CI: 0.73–1.85). The OR for an increase of 10 μg/day of dietary acrylamide was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.91–1.10). In subgroup analyses, the ORs for high vs. low acrylamide intake were 1.28 (95% CI: 0.73–2.25) in never smokers and 1.14 (95% CI: 0.45–2.90) in ever smokers. Our data do not support an association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer.

Acrylamide‐Forming Potential and Agronomic Properties of Elite US Potato Germplasm from the National Fry Processing Trial

ABSTRACTProcessed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) products, such as chips and French fries, contribute to the dietary intake of acrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen. One of the most promising approaches for reducing its consumption is to develop and commercialize new potato varieties with low acrylamide‐forming potential. To facilitate this effort, a National Fry Processing Trial (NFPT) was conducted from 2011 to 2013 in five states. More than 140 advanced breeding lines were evaluated for tuber agronomic traits and biochemical properties from harvest through 8 mo of storage. Thirty‐eight and 29 entries had significantly less acrylamide in French fries than standard varieties Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet, with reductions in excess of 50%, after one and 8 mo of storage, respectively. As in previous studies, the glucose content of raw tubers was predictive of acrylamide in finished French fries (R2 = 0.64–0.77). Despite its role in acrylamide formation, tuber free asparagine was not significant, potentially because it showed relatively little variation in the NFPT population. Even when glucose was included in the model as a covariate, genotype was highly significant (p = 0.001) for predicting acrylamide, indicating there may be yet‐unidentified genetic loci to target in breeding. The NFPT has demonstrated that there exist many elite US breeding lines with low acrylamide‐forming potential. Our ongoing challenge is to combine this trait with complex quality attributes required by the fry processing industry.

Acrylamide and glycidamide hemoglobin adduct levels and endometrial cancer risk: A nested case-control study in nonsmoking postmenopausal women from the EPIC cohort.

Acrylamide, classified in 1994 by IARC as "probably carcinogenic to humans," was discovered in 2002 in some heat-treated, carbohydrate-rich foods. Four prospective studies have evaluated the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer (EC) risk with inconsistent results. The purpose of this nested case-control study, based on the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, was to evaluate, for the first time, the association between hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide (HbAA) and glycidamide (HbGA) and the risk of developing EC in non-smoking postmenopausal women. Hemoglobin adducts were measured in red blood cells by HPLC/MS/MS. Four exposure variables were evaluated: HbAA, HbGA, their sum (HbAA+HbGA), and their ratio (HbGA/HbAA). The association between hemoglobin adducts and EC was evaluated using unconditional multivariable logistic regression models, and included 383 EC cases (171 were type-I EC), and 385 controls. Exposure variables were analyzed in quintiles based on control distributions. None of the biomarker variables had an effect on overall EC (HRHbAA;Q5vsQ1 : 0.84, 95%CI: 0.49-1.48; HRHbGA;Q5vsQ1 : 0.94, 95%CI: 0.54-1.63) or type-I EC risk. Additionally, none of the subgroups investigated (BMI < 25 vs. ≥25 kg m(-2) , alcohol drinkers vs. never drinkers, oral contraceptive users vs. non-users) demonstrated effect measure modification. Hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide or glycidamide were not associated with EC or type-I EC risk in 768 nonsmoking postmenopausal women from the EPIC cohort.

Acrylamide in rye bread – A risk in Finnish diet?

The present study deals with the assessment of acrylamide levels, dietary intake and toxicity associated with food products which constitute the main components of a Lebanese breakfast including bread, crackers, toast and kaak. Quantification of acrylamide levels was performed on a UPLC-MS/MS spectrometer and upon correlation with the results of a community survey, the carcinogenic and neurotoxic risks associated with the dietary intake of acrylamide were calculated.The average exposure to acrylamide from the investigated dietary products was found to be 5 times higher than the intake of 0.08 μg/kg-bw/day, as estimated by the NFCA (Norwegian Food Control Authority) and 3 times higher than the intake of 0.14 μg/kg-bw/day as set by the WHO (World Health Organization). MOEN and MOEC (Margin of Exposure for neurotoxic and carcinogenic risks) values ranged between 290 and 556, and between 449 and 861 respectively.Kaak, Crackers, and Toast appear to pose no neurotoxic or carcinogenic risk of concern among the entire population as well as the individual age groups. French bread and Lebanese bread pose different levels of carcinogenic risk among the entire population as well as various age groups. The results also indicate that 24% of children, 4% of young adults and 8% of adults are at both neurotoxic and carcinogenic risks.

Estimation of exposure to dietary acrylamide based on mercapturic acids level in urine of Polish women post partum and an assessment of health risk.

We determined metabolites of acrylamide and glycidamide concentrations (AAMA and GAMA, respectively) in urine of 93 women within the first days after delivery, using LC-MS/MS. The median AAMA and GAMA levels in urine were 20.9 μg/l (2.3÷399.0 μg/l) and 8.6 μg/l (1.3÷85.0 μg/l), respectively. In smokers we found significantly (P<0.01) higher levels of metabolites in comparison with the non-smoking women. As demonstrated by the 24-h dietary recall, acrylamide intake was low (median: 7.04 μg/day). Estimated exposure to acrylamide based on AAMA and GAMA levels in the whole group of women was 0.16 μg/kg b.w./day (1.15 μg/kg b.w./day, P95). We found significantly (P<0.05) higher exposure in women who consumed higher amount of acrylamide in the diet (≥10 μg/day vs <10 μg/day). A weak but significant positive correlation between acrylamide intake calculated on the basis of urinary levels of AAMA and GAMA and estimated on the basis of 24-h dietary recall (r=0.26, P<0.05) was found. The estimated margin of exposure values were below 10 000 and ranged from 156 for 95th percentile to 1938 for median acrylamide intake. Our results have shown that even a low dietary acrylamide intake may be associated with health risk.

Review of the state of the art of human biomonitoring for chemical substances and its application to human exposure assessment for food safety

Review of the state of the art of human biomonitoring for chemical substances and its application to human exposure assessment for food safety

Dietary intake of acrylamide and epithelial ovarian cancer risk in the european prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Acrylamide, classified in 1994 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as "probably carcinogenic" to humans, was discovered in 2002 in some heat-treated, carbohydrate-rich foods. The association between dietary acrylamide intake and epithelial ovarian cancer risk (EOC) has been previously studied in one case-control and three prospective cohort studies which obtained inconsistent results and could not further examine histologic subtypes other than serous EOC. The present study was carried out in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) subcohort of women (n = 325,006). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between questionnaire-based acrylamide intake and EOC risk. Acrylamide was energy-adjusted using the residual method and was evaluated both as a continuous variable (per 10 μg/d) and in quintiles; when subgroups by histologic EOC subtypes were analyzed, acrylamide intake was evaluated in quartiles. During a mean follow-up of 11 years, 1,191 incident EOC cases were diagnosed. At baseline, the median acrylamide intake in EPIC was 21.3 μg/d. No associations and no evidence for a dose-response were observed between energy-adjusted acrylamide intake and EOC risk (HR10μg/d,1.02; 95% CI, 0.96-1.09; HRQ5vsQ1, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.76-1.23). No differences were seen when invasive EOC subtypes (582 serous, 118 endometrioid, and 79 mucinous tumors) were analyzed separately. This study did not provide evidence that acrylamide intake, based on food intake questionnaires, was associated with risk for EOC in EPIC. Additional studies with more reliable estimates of exposure based on biomarkers may be needed.

Associations of acrylamide intake with circulating levels of sex hormones and prolactin in premenopausal Japanese women.

It has been hypothesized that alteration of hormone systems is involved in the carcinogenesis of acrylamide. The aim of the present study was to examine the cross-sectional associations between dietary acrylamide intake and sex hormone levels in premenopausal Japanese women. Study subjects were 393 women who had regular menstrual cycles less than 40 days long. Acrylamide intake was assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire and was based on acrylamide concentration reported from analyses of Japanese foods. We measured the plasma concentrations of estradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, sex hormone-binding globulin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin. After controlling for age, the phase of the menstrual cycle, and other covariates, acrylamide intake was statistically significantly inversely associated with total and free estradiol levels and statistically significantly positively associated with follicle-stimulating hormone level. Total and free estradiol levels were 18.2% and 19.3% lower, respectively, in women in the highest quartile of acrylamide intake than in those in the lowest quartile of intake. Follicle-stimulating hormone levels were 23.5% higher in women in the highest quartile of acrylamide intake than in those in the lowest quartile of intake. The data suggest that acrylamide intake may alter estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. High estradiol levels have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Although the results need confirmation, they highlight the need to investigate the relationships among dietary acrylamide, sex hormones, and breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(1); 249-54. ©2014 AACR.

Dietary acrylamide intake and risk of endometrial cancer in prospective cohort studies.

Acrylamide has been associated with carcinogenicity in experimental animals, but potential health risks of dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer in human are inconclusive. Thus, a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies was conducted to provide a quantitative assessment of the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer risk. PubMed database was used to identify prospective cohort studies on dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer risk published up to June 2014. Since smoking is an important source of acrylamide and is inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk, the association was examined in women who never smoked as well. Multivariable relative risks (RR) adjusting for potential confounders were combined using random effects models. Four large prospective cohort studies were identified, which included 453,355 female participants and 2,019 endometrial cancer cases. There was no association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer risk overall [pooled RR for high vs. low intake = 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-1.34]. High acrylamide intake, however, was significantly associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer among women who never smoked (pooled RR for high vs. low intake = 1.39; 95% CI 1.09-1.77). In dose-response analyses, pooled RRs for an increase of 10 µg/day were 1.04 (95% CI 0.97-1.11) among all women and 1.11 (95% CI 1.04-1.19) among never-smoking women. Endometrial cancer risk was not associated with dietary acrylamide intake overall. Among women who never smoked, however, there was a significantly increased endometrial cancer risk in women who consumed high dietary acrylamide.

Potential Association of Urinary N7-(2-Carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl) Guanine with Dietary Acrylamide Intake of Smokers and Nonsmokers.

Acrylamide (AA), a rodent carcinogen, is widely used in industry and present in cigarette smoke as well as in foods processed at high temperatures. The metabolic activation of AA to glycidamide (GA) could be critical for AA carcinogenicity since GA causes DNA adduct formation in vivo. N7-(2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl) guanine (N7-GAG), the most abundant DNA adduct of AA, is subjected to spontaneous and enzymatic depurination and excreted through urine. Urinary N7-GAG analysis can confirm AA genotoxicity and identify active species of AA metabolites in humans, thereby serving as a risk-associated biomarker for molecular epidemiology studies. This study aimed to develop an isotope-dilution solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to comparatively analyze urinary N7-GAG levels in nonsmokers and smokers. Urinary N-acetyl-S-(propionamide)-cysteine (AAMA), a metabolite of AA, was also analyzed as a biomarker for current AA exposure. Urinary N7-GAG was quantified by monitoring m/z 239 → 152 for N7-GAG and m/z 242 → 152 for (13)C3-labeled N7-GAG under positive electron spray ionization and multiple reaction mode. The median urinary N7-GAG level was 0.93 μg/g creatinine in nonsmokers (n = 33) and 1.41 μg/g creatinine in smokers (n = 30). Multiple linear regression analysis of data revealed that N7-GAG levels were only significantly associated with AAMA levels. These results demonstrate that urinary N7-GAG of nonsmokers and smokers is significantly associated with a very low level of dietary AA intake, assessed by analyzing urinary AAMA.

Estimation of dietary exposure to acrylamide of Polish teenagers from an urban environment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary exposure to acrylamide (AA) in a group of teenagers (n = 261) from an urban environment. The intake of AA from food was estimated based on a 7-day food record diary (consecutive days). The food rations obtained (n = 1827) were used to calculate the amounts of the consumed food products, which were the main sources of AA. In the case of girls, the estimated dietary intake of AA per kg body weight (BW) amounted to 0.09 µg/kg BW/day (50th percentile), 0.32 µg/kg BW/day (75th percentile) and 1.04 µg/kg BW/day (95th percentile), and among boys it was 0.13, 0.41, and 1.18 µg/kg BW/day, respectively. The main sources of AA exposure were French fries, potato crisps, corn flakes, bread and salty sticks. The lowest values for margin of exposure (MOE) were calculated for the P95th percentiles of exposure, and ranged from 152 to 173.

Dietary intake of acrylamide and endometrial cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort.

Background:Three prospective studies have evaluated the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer (EC) risk with inconsistent results. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between acrylamide intake and EC risk: for overall EC, for type-I EC, and in never smokers and never users of oral contraceptives (OCs). Smoking is a source of acrylamide, and OC use is a protective factor for EC risk.Methods:Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between acrylamide intake and EC risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Acrylamide intake was estimated from the EU acrylamide monitoring database, which was matched with EPIC questionnaire-based food consumption data. Acrylamide intake was energy adjusted using the residual method.Results:No associations were observed between acrylamide intake and overall EC (n=1382) or type-I EC risk (n=627). We observed increasing relative risks for type-I EC with increasing acrylamide intake among women who both never smoked and were non-users of OCs (HRQ5vsQ1: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.08–3.62; likelihood ratio test (LRT) P-value: 0.01, n=203).Conclusions:Dietary intake of acrylamide was not associated with overall or type-I EC risk; however, positive associations with type I were observed in women who were both non-users of OCs and never smokers.

Dietary intake of acrylamide and esophageal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort

The relation between dietary acrylamide intake and esophageal cancer (EC) risk, including esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), has not been consistent. We evaluated the association between dietary acrylamide intake and EAC, ESCC, and overall EC in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the HR and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI). Since nonlinear relations were observed, HRs were displayed for quartiles of acrylamide intake in μg per day. After a mean follow-up of 11 years, 341 EC were identified, 142 of which were EAC, 176 ESCC, and 23 other histological types or not specified. An increase in EC risk was observed in the second and third quartiles (HRQ2vsQ1 1.75, 95 % CI 1.12-2.74; HRQ3vsQ1 1.66, 95 % CI 1.05-2.61), but not in the fourth quartile, and there was no evidence for a linear dose-response trend. HRs were similarly elevated but not statistically significant when ESCC and EAC were analyzed separately, due to the small number of cases observed. No associations were observed when quartiles were based on energy-adjusted acrylamide intake. In the EPIC cohort, an association between estimated dietary acrylamide intake and an increased risk of developing EC was observed in the middle quartiles but not in the highest quartile; however, results from other larger cohorts or consortia, and results from biomarker studies, might add to the evidence provided by this analysis, suggesting that acrylamide is not an important risk factor for EC.

Dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of colorectal cancer with specific mutations in KRAS and APC

Acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen, is present in heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods. Epidemiological studies have not shown a clear association between acrylamide intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. This may be due to the molecular heterogeneity in colorectal tumors, which was not taken into consideration before. Since the acrylamide metabolite glycidamide induces specific DNA mutations in rodents, we investigated whether acrylamide is associated with CRC risk characterized by mutations in Kirsten-ras (KRAS) and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC); key genes in colorectal carcinogenesis. This case-cohort analysis, within the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer, was based on 7.3 years of follow-up. Acrylamide intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Mutation analysis of codons 1286-1520 in exon 15 in APC and codons 12 and 13 in exon 1 in KRAS was performed on tumor tissue of 733 cases. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Among men, acrylamide intake was statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of particularly tumors with an activating KRAS mutation {HR fourth versus first quartile: 2.12 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-3.87], P trend: 0.01}. Among women, acrylamide intake was statistically significantly associated with a decreased risk of particularly tumors with a truncating APC mutation (fourth versus first quartile: 0.47 (95% CI: 0.23-0.94), P trend: 0.02), but only in the highest quartile of intake. This is the first study to show that acrylamide might be associated with CRC with specific somatic mutations, differentially in men and women. More research is needed to corroborate or refute these findings.

Associations between Dietary Acrylamide Intake and Plasma Sex Hormone Levels

The rodent carcinogen acrylamide was discovered in 2002 in commonly consumed foods. Epidemiologic studies have observed positive associations between acrylamide intake and endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer risks, which suggest that acrylamide may have sex-hormonal effects. We cross-sectionally investigated the relationship between acrylamide intake and plasma levels of sex hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) among 687 postmenopausal and 1,300 premenopausal controls from nested case-control studies within the Nurses' Health Studies. There were no associations between acrylamide and sex hormones or SHBG among premenopausal women overall or among never-smokers. Among normal-weight premenopausal women, acrylamide intake was statistically significantly positively associated with luteal total and free estradiol levels. Among postmenopausal women overall and among never-smokers, acrylamide was borderline statistically significantly associated with lower estrone sulfate levels but not with other estrogens, androgens, prolactin, or SHBG. Among normal-weight women, (borderline) statistically significant inverse associations were noted for estrone, free estradiol, estrone sulfate, DHEA, and prolactin, whereas statistically significant positive associations for testosterone and androstenedione were observed among overweight women. Overall, this study did not show conclusive associations between acrylamide intake and sex hormones that would lend unequivocal biologic plausibility to the observed increased risks of endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer. The association between acrylamide and sex hormones may differ by menopausal and overweight status. We recommend other studies investigate the relationship between acrylamide and sex hormones in women, specifically using acrylamide biomarkers. The present study showed some interesting associations between acrylamide intake and sex hormones that urgently need confirmation.

Dietary intake of acrylamide and pancreatic cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort

BackgroundIn 1994, acrylamide (AA) was classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 2002, AA was discovered at relatively high concentrations in some starchy, plant-based foods cooked at high temperatures. Patients and methodsA prospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between the dietary intake of AA and ductal adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreatic cancer (PC) risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort using Cox regression modeling. EPIC includes >500 000 men and women aged 35–75 at enrollment from 10 European countries. AA intake was estimated for each participant by combining questionnaire-based food consumption data with a harmonized AA database derived from the EU monitoring database of AA levels in foods, and evaluated in quintiles and continuously. ResultsAfter a mean follow-up of 11 years, 865 first incident adenocarcinomas of the exocrine pancreas were observed and included in the present analysis. At baseline, the mean dietary AA intake in EPIC was 26.22 µg/day. No overall association was found between continuous or quintiles of dietary AA intake and PC risk in EPIC (HR:0.95, 95%CI:0.89–1.01 per 10 µg/day). There was no effect measure modification by smoking status, sex, diabetes, alcohol intake or geographic region. However, there was an inverse association (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61–0.88 per 10 µg/day) between AA intake and PC risk in obese persons as defined using the body mass index (BMI, ≥30 kg/m2), but not when body fatness was defined using waist and hip circumference or their ratio. ConclusionsDietary intake of AA was not associated with an increased risk of PC in the EPIC cohort.