title: The tetrad BMI, leptin, leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio and CA 15-3 are reliable biomarkers of breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have reported that leptin levels, the leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 15-3 are especially elevated in breast cancer patients with high body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate BMI, leptin, L/A ratio and CA 15-3 all together as reliable biomarkers for breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin and CA 15-3, as well as anthropometric and biochemical parameters were analysed in 88 female patients who participated in a mammography study. Predictive values of BMI, leptin, L/A ratio and CA 15-3 were determined with a 95% confidence interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women were diagnosed with either breast cancer (n = 40) or benign breast lesions (n = 48). Among anthropometric parameters, age (P ≤ 0.001), weight (P ≤ 0.05) and waist circumference (P ≤ 0.02) were higher in patients with breast cancer than in patients without this pathology. The 75th percentile values for BMI, leptin, L/A ratio and CA 15-3 were 29.24 kg/m(2), 26.65 ng/ml, 2.37 and 18.45 IU, respectively. The suggested odds ratio for breast cancer patients with the values that were above the 75th percentile of the tetrad was 6.7 (0.7505-60.0665 confidence interval).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the four variables were analysed together, a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 80%, positive predictive value of 83.3% and negative predictive value of 80% were obtained. Results indicate that using the 75th percentile set points for BMI, leptin, L/A ratio and CA 15-3 together could offer a reliable approach to determine which women are at high risk for developing breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Research Center (CICMED), Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMex), Toluca, México. jonnathangsb@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: Jonnathan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Santillán-Benítez
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mendieta-Zerón
authors.forename: Leobardo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gómez-Oliván
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Torres-Juárez
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: González-Bañales
authors.forename: Lorena V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Hernández-Peña
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ordóñez-Quiroz
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020738:Leptin; D018396:Mucin-1