Differential levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in early breast cancer and benign breast lesions.
To date, no soluble markers can discriminate benign from malignant breast lesions; therefore, to assess the diagnostic potential of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), serum concentrations of sICAM-1 were quantitated in 230 consecutive patients that underwent surgery for breast neoplasias, utilizing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histological diagnosis revealed that 177 patients had breast cancer and 53 had a benign breast disease. In the cancer patient group, 90 subjects had pT1 tumors without (pT1N0M0, n = 46) or with (pT1N1M0, n = 41; pT1N2M0, n = 3) regional lymph node metastases. Mean levels of serum sICAM-1 of patients with pT1 breast cancer, without or with regional lymph node involvement, were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of patients with benign breast lesions and of 49 age-matched control subjects. Elevated levels of serum sICAM-1 were detected in 27/90 (30%) pT1 breast tumors and in 1/53 (2%) benign breast lesions; thus, among subjects with high levels of sICAM-1, 96% had breast cancer. No significant correlation was found between levels of serum sICAM-1 and breast cancer progression. These observations, altogether, suggest that in the presence of a suspicious breast neoplasm the quantitative analysis of serum sICAM-1 can orient clinical diagnosis towards malignancy.
Altomonte
M
M
Advanced Immunotherapy Unit, I.R.C.C.S.-Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy.
Fonsatti
E
E
Lamaj
E
E
Cattarossi
I
I
Cattelan
A
A
Maio
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012995:Solubility
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1