Abstract C46: Effects of lycopene- and isoflavone-rich dietary interventions on serum adipokine concentrations among postmenopausal women at increased breast cancer risk

Background: Breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women increases as body mass index increases, likely due to the biological effects of the obesity-related adipokines, adiponectin and leptin. Few studies have investigated the effects of carotenoids and isoflavones on circulating adipokines among postmenopausal women. Our aim was to examine the effects of lycopene- and isoflavone-rich diets on adipokine concentrations in overweight and obese postmenopausal women at increased breast cancer risk.

Methods: Seventy women were enrolled in a 26-week, 2-arm (tomato and soy based diets, 10 weeks each, with 2-week wash-out periods in between) longitudinal, cross-over trial. Changes in serum adiponectin, leptin and the adiponectin to leptin ratio (A/L) were examined through linear mixed models, with ratio estimates corresponding to post-intervention adipokine concentrations relative to pre-intervention concentrations.

Results: Among all women, the lycopene-rich intervention yielded a 9% increase in serum adiponectin concentration (Ratio=1.09, 95% CI: 1.00-1.18), with a stronger effect observed among non-obese women (Ratio=1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.25). Following the isoflavone-rich intervention, adiponectin decreased 9% overall (Ratio=0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.97), with a larger reduction observed among non-obese women (Ratio=0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.98). Overall, no significant changes in leptin or the A/L ratio were observed following either intervention.

Conclusions: Increasing dietary consumption of lycopene- and isoflavone-rich foods may have beneficial effects on adipokine concentrations, specifically increasing adiponectin and decreasing leptin, among postmenopausal women at increased breast cancer risk. Additional studies are essential to confirm these effects and to elucidate the specific mechanisms that may make these phytonutrients practical as breast cancer chemopreventive agents.

Citation Format: Adana A.M. Llanos, Juan Peng, Michael L. Pennell, Jessica L. Krok, Mara Z. Vitolins, Cecilia R. Degraffinreid, Electra D. Paskett. Effects of lycopene- and isoflavone-rich dietary interventions on serum adipokine concentrations among postmenopausal women at increased breast cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr C46.