title: Putative relationship between hormonal status and serum pyrrolidone carboxypeptidase activity in pre- and post- menopausal women with breast cancer.
abstract: In breast cancer, hormonal changes are rather constant in post-menopausal women since they tend to vary only over long time spans. However, in pre-menopausal women, the development of breast cancer is associated with hormonal physiological variations. The aim of the present work was to analyse the changes in circulating levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in pre- and post-menopausal women that were healthy or with breast cancer, and their connection to serum pyrrolidone carboxypeptidase (Pcp) activity. We observed significant changes in the hormonal profile in post-menopausal women with breast cancer compared to the control group. In pre-menopausal women, we found significant changes in circulating GnRH levels with respect to the healthy group. Our present results support the existence of neuroendocrine misregulation that could be involved in tumour progression, with Pcp being a potentially new pharmacological target in breast cancer treatments.
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain. pcarrera@ujaen.es
authors.forename: María del Pilar
authors.initials: Mdel P
authors.lastname: Carrera-González
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Expósito
authors.forename: Basilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dueñas
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Ferrol
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mayas
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martínez-Martos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human / Q000097:blood; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood*; D011751:Pyroglutamyl-Peptidase I / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D011751:Pyroglutamyl-Peptidase I