STIMULATORY INFLUENCE OF SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE ON BREAST SECRETION IN PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Soy foods have been reported to have protective effects against premen opausal breast cancer in Asian women, No studies have been reported on potential physiological effects of dietary soy consumption on breast gland function, We evaluated the influence of the long-term ingestion of a commercial soy protein isolate on breast secretory activity, We h ypothesized that the features of nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) of non-As ian women would be altered so as to resemble those previously found in Asian women. At monthly intervals for 1 year, 24 normal pre- and post menopausal white women, ages 30 to 58, underwent nipple aspiration of breast fluid and gave blood and 24-h urine samples for biochemical stu dies, No soy was administered in months 1-3 and 10-12. Between months 4-9 the women ingested daily 38 g of soy protein isolate containing 38 mg of genistein, NAF volume, gross cystic disease fluid protein (GCDF P-15) concentration, and NAF cytology were used as biomarkers of possi ble effects of soy protein isolate on the breast, In addition, plasma concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, sex hormone binding globuli n, prolactin, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and t riglycerides were measured, Compliance was assessed by measurements of genistein and daidzein and their metabolites in 24-11 urine samples, Excellent compliance with the study protocol was obtained. Compared wi th NAF volumes obtained in months 1-3, a 2-6-fold increase in NAF volu me ensued during months 4-9 in all premenopausal women, A minimal incr ease or no response was found in postmenopausal women, No changes were found in plasma prolactin, sex hormone binding globulin, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations , Compared with concentrations found in months 1-3 (no soy), plasma es tradiol concentrations were elevated erratically throughout a ''compos ite'' menstrual cycle during the months of soy consumption, No signifi cant changes were seen in plasma progesterone concentrations, No signi ficant changes were found in plasma estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, A moderate decrease occurred in the mean concentration of GCDFP -15 in NAF in premenopausal women during the months of soy ingestion, Of potential concern was the cytological detection of epithelial hyper plasia in 7 of 24 women (29.2%) during the months they were consuming soy protein isolate, The findings did not support our a priori hypothe sis, Instead, this pilot study indicates that prolonged consumption of soy protein isolate has a stimulatory effect on the premenopausal fem ale breast, characterized by increased secretion of breast fluid, the appearance of hyperplastic epithelial cells, and elevated levels of pl asma estradiol, These findings are suggestive of an estrogenic stimulu s from the isoflavones genistein and daidzein contained in soy protein isolate.