title: Diagnostic value of adenosine deaminase activity in benign and malignant breast tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was carried out to evaluate the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and its isoenzymes ADA1 and ADA2 activities as a diagnostic tool in patients with benign and malignant breast disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total ADA, ADA1, and ADA2 activities of serum and tumor were analyzed using 58 subjects including 20 patients with benign breast disease (BBD), 34 patients with primary breast cancer, and 20 patients as normal control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values for total ADA and ADA2 activities in the serum and tumor of BBD were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (p <0.01). Furthermore, the mean values for total ADA and ADA2 activities of patients with breast cancer were significantly higher than those of the benign group (p <0.005) and healthy subjects (p <0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the present results, it is concluded that the assessment of total ADA and ADA2 activities may be used as a reliable test for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aghaei
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karami-Tehrani
authors.forename: Siamak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salami
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atri
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase