Clinical value of serum hepatocyte growth factor, B-cell lymphoma-2 and nitric oxide in primary breast cancer patients

H.H. Ahmed 1, F.M. Metwally 2, E-S.M. Mahdy 3, W.G. Shosha 3, S.S. Ramadan 3

¹ Hormones Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

² Environmental and Occupational Medicine Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

³ Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

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• Oncology

OBJECTIVES: The present study was undertaken to determine the clinical significance of serum levels of HGF, Bcl-2 and NO in the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty four primary invasive breast cancer patients and fifteen health control subjects were enrolled in the present study. Serum HGF, Bcl-2 and No levels were assayed and correlated with clinico pathological parameters. ROS curve analysis was also done for each biochemical marker.

RESULTS: The mean level of HGF was 1198.79 ± 76.32 pg/ml versus 884.67 ± 66.88 pg/ml for the control (p = 0.026). The HGF levels were significantly elevated in the patients with increasing the tumor stage (p = 0.036). In addition, HGF levels were markedly increased in negative estrogen receptor patients (p = 0.039). The mean level of Bcl-2 in patients was 12.83 ± 1.97 ng/ml versus 5.09 ± 0.40 ng/ml in control (p = 0.027). Levels of Bcl-2 were elevated but not statistically significant in patients with grade I (GI) tumors, negative nodes, ER negative tumors and postmenopausal patients (p = 0.4, 0.8, 0.7 and 0.5, respectively). The patients mean serum levels of NO were 63.07 ± 4.14 µmol/L versus 43.99 ± 4.21 µmol/L in control (p = 0.014). The levels of NO were elevated but also not statistically significant in patients with tumor size I, GI tumors, ER negative tumors, positive nodes, stage II tumors and postmenopausal patients (p = 0.3, 0.6, 0.3, 0.7, 0.3 and 0.2 respectively). From the ROC curve analysis, it was observed that the area under curve for HGF, Bcl-2 and NO was 0.695, 0.842 and 0.711, respectively. This result indicates the good validity of the above biomarkers especially Bcl-2 to discriminate the ER positive from the negative tumors in primary breast cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the serum levels of HGF, Bcl-2 or NO may help in the diagnosis of breast cancer patients and may aid in disease prognosis. However, larger study with more patients are required.

Corresponding Author: Hanaa H. Ahmed, MD; e-mail: hanaaomr@yahoo.com