Abstract 759
Background
Breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous malignancy in women, is a multifactorial disease with important impact in immune system. Aberrant inflammatory marker, important feature of disease, which has role in both disease and prognosis. The most notably is interleukin-6 pathway which works as the link between inflammation and angiogenesis to malignancy. hs-CRP is a well-known surrogate marker for inflammation, with the newly found prognostic value to detect progression of malignancy.
Methods
This case control study contained two arms. Arm A includes 60 female patients with histologically proven breast cancer who were enrolled from the radiotherapy outpatient department (OPD) of DMCH with known clinical and pathological parameters. Arm B included 60 healthy age-matched females. Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to measure Serum levels of IL-6, and immunonephlometry was used to measure hs-CRP.
Results
Showed that statistically significant difference in Serum levels of IL‐6 among the samples of breast cancer patients compared to healthy control (p < 0.05) with breast cancer patient having higher values. Results also showed that statistically significant difference in Serum levels of hs-CRP among the samples of breast cancer patients compared to healthy control (p < 0.05) with breast cancer patient having higher values. Strong correlation was found between higher IL-6 levels and increasing tumor size, LN invasion and metastasis. Higher values of hs-CRP also showed strong correlation with larger tumor size, LN invasion and metastasis. An increasing trend of serum IL-6 and hs-CRP was found with higher TNM stage groups. Positive correlation between higher hs-CRP and IL‐6 levels (r2=0.585, p < 0.001) was found in the study. However, the study failed to show any significant correlation between higher IL-6 and hs-CRP value with regard to patient’s HER 2 receptor status(P = 0.616), and Steroid receptor status (ER, PR) (P = 0.676).
Conclusions
This study revealed higher IL-6 and hs-CRP levels with disease progression. Therefore IL-6 and hs-CRP levels have the potential to be used as prognostic biomarker for breast cancer patients.
Editorial acknowledgement
Clinical trial identification
Legal entity responsible for the study
Department of Immunology, BIRDEM.
Funding
Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.