Open Access

Determination of FABP4, RBP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex in the serum of women with breast cancer

  • Authors:
    • Dimitris Tsakogiannis
    • Eleni Kalogera
    • Flora Zagouri
    • Eleni Zografos
    • Dimitris Balalis
    • Garyfalia Bletsa
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: December 4, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.12346
  • Article Number: 85
  • Copyright: © Tsakogiannis et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in females and is the leading cause of cancer‑associated death among women, worldwide. The present study aimed to measure the serum levels of fatty acid‑binding protein 4 (FABP4), retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and the MMP‑9/neutrophil gelatinase‑associated lipocalin (NGAL) complex in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Serum levels of the examined proteins were determined in the peripheral blood of patients via ELISA. Furthermore, whether the concentration of each protein was associated with breast cancer growth, molecular subtype, BMI, postmenopausal status, diabetes and the social background of patients was assessed. Women with invasive breast cancer demonstrated significantly higher levels of FABP4 (P=0.008). Additionally, considerably elevated FABP4 levels were demonstrated specifically in Luminal breast cancer cases (P<0.01). No significant association was recorded between RBP4 and breast cancer development. In addition, significantly lower levels of the MMP‑9/NGAL complex were recorded in triple negative/HER‑2 cases (P<0.05). BMI values appeared to influence the aforementioned associations, while significantly high serum levels of FABP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex were found in postmenopausal patients with breast cancer and a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (P<0.05). In addition, high levels of FABP4 were significantly associated with breast cancer patients with diabetes (P=0.05). However, no association was identified between RBP4, the MMP‑9/NGAL complex and diabetes. In conclusion, FABP4 can be regarded as a biomarker of breast cancer growth, while both FABP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex may provide considerable information regarding the development of specific breast cancer subtypes. FABP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex may also be able to predict the development of breast cancer in postmenopausal patients with obesity.
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February-2021
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Spandidos Publications style
Tsakogiannis D, Kalogera E, Zagouri F, Zografos E, Balalis D and Bletsa G: Determination of FABP4, RBP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex in the serum of women with breast cancer. Oncol Lett 21: 85, 2021
APA
Tsakogiannis, D., Kalogera, E., Zagouri, F., Zografos, E., Balalis, D., & Bletsa, G. (2021). Determination of FABP4, RBP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex in the serum of women with breast cancer. Oncology Letters, 21, 85. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.12346
MLA
Tsakogiannis, D., Kalogera, E., Zagouri, F., Zografos, E., Balalis, D., Bletsa, G."Determination of FABP4, RBP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex in the serum of women with breast cancer". Oncology Letters 21.2 (2021): 85.
Chicago
Tsakogiannis, D., Kalogera, E., Zagouri, F., Zografos, E., Balalis, D., Bletsa, G."Determination of FABP4, RBP4 and the MMP‑9/NGAL complex in the serum of women with breast cancer". Oncology Letters 21, no. 2 (2021): 85. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.12346