Circulating microparticles in breast cancer patients: a comparative analysis with established biomarkers.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present prospective case-control study was to evaluate the putative relevance of circulating microparticles (MP) as a biomarker in breast cancer patients.


METHODS
Endothelial cell-(EMP) and leukocyte-derived MP (LMP) were determined by flow cytometry in breast cancer patients (n = 41) and healthy controls (n = 25) and compared to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA)15-3 and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF) levels by specificity-sensitivity profiles.


RESULTS
LMP, CEA and CA15-3 levels differed significantly between breast cancer patients and controls, whereas EMP and vWF did not. The specificity-sensitivity profiles of LMP and CA15-3 were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing levels of circulating LMP (CD45+), CEA and CA15-3 correlated with increasing tumor size, thus reflecting disease stage. LMP showed an equal specificity-sensitivity profile to the established marker CA15-3 and therefore might have the potential to become a new biomarker in breast cancer patients.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. bettina.toth@med.uni-muenchen.de
Bettina
B
Toth
Rienk
R
Nieuwland
Susanne
S
Liebhardt
Nina
N
Ditsch
Kerstin
K
Steinig
Petra
P
Stieber
Andreas
A
Rank
Peter
P
Göhring
Christian J
CJ
Thaler
Klaus
K
Friese
Ingo
I
Bauerfeind
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018396:Mucin-1; D014841:von Willebrand Factor