Collagen IV Levels in Breast Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Mazouni C, Arun B, André F, Ayers M, Krishnamurthy S, Wang B, Hortobagyi G N, Buzdar A U, Pusztai L
Primary Institution: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Hypothesis
Serum collagen IV levels may be elevated in patients with primary breast cancer relative to healthy women due to increased angiogenic activity in the cancer.
Conclusion
Patients with breast cancer have elevated levels of collagen IV compared to healthy women, and these levels increase further during chemotherapy.
Supporting Evidence
- Median serum collagen IV concentration was significantly higher in cancer patients (166 μg l−1) than in healthy women (115 μg l−1).
- Chemotherapy induced a significant further increase in serum collagen IV from 167 μg l−1 pre-chemo to 206 μg l−1 post-chemo.
- Individual measurements of collagen IV levels overlapped substantially between the two groups.
Takeaway
This study found that women with breast cancer have more collagen IV in their blood than healthy women, and this amount goes up even more when they receive chemotherapy.
Methodology
Serum collagen IV levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay in 51 breast cancer patients and 55 healthy controls, with pre- and post-chemotherapy measurements in a subset of patients.
Potential Biases
The differences reported may be due to age, and the study could not examine the impact of timing of the diagnostic biopsy on serum collagen levels.
Limitations
The sample size is small, and the median age of cancer patients was significantly older than that of the volunteers, which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Median age of cancer patients was 52 years (range, 21–70), while healthy volunteers had a median age of 46 years (range, 21–70).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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