title: Intima-media thickness, myocardial perfusion and laboratory risk factors of atherosclerosis in patients with breast cancer treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy.
abstract: An increased incidence of complications of atherosclerosis has been noted in cancer survivors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, in patients with breast carcinoma, the effect of antracycline-based chemotherapy on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), myocardial perfusion, assessed by single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and laboratory parameters associated with the risk of atherosclerosis. Thirty-six patients with breast cancer were evaluated before and after anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Retinol, alpha-tocopherol, glycosylated hemoglobin and urinary neopterin were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Peripheral blood cell count, D-dimers, fibrinogen, antithrombin, glucose, magnesium, creatinine, uric acid, albumin, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein (a), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, homocysteine, urinary albumin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were determined with routine methods. No significant differences were observed between patients and 16 controls. Compared to the measurement before the start of therapy, peripheral blood leukocyte and platelet count, hemoglobin, creatinine, HDL cholesterol, retinol, albumin, urinary albumin and NAG decreased, and total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, neopterin and mean IMT increased significantly after the treatment. Of the 36 patients who had SPECT after treatment, perfusion defects were noted only in two cases, including the patient who had perfusion defects at baseline examination and a patient who did not have a baseline SPECT. In conclusion, a significant increase in carotid IMT, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and urinary neopterin and a decrease of peripheral blood leukocyte and platelet counts, hemoglobin, creatinine, HDL cholesterol, retinol, albumin and NAG were observed after the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Charles University School of Medicine, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalábová
authors.forename: Bohuslav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melichar
authors.forename: Leoš
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ungermann
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doležal
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krčmová
authors.forename: Markéta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kašparová
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plíšek
authors.forename: Radomír
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hyšpler
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pecka
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solichová
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines