title: Complement C3f serum levels may predict breast cancer risk in women with gross cystic disease of the breast.
abstract: Gross cystic disease (GCDB) is a breast benign condition predisposing to breast cancer. Cryopreserved sera from GCDB patients, some of whom later developed a cancer (cases), were studied to identify potential risk markers. A MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis found several complement C3f fragments having a significant increased abundance in cases compared to controls. After multivariate analysis, the full-length form of C3f maintained a predictive value of breast cancer risk. Higher levels of C3f in the serum of women affected by a benign condition like GCDB thus appears to be correlated to the development of breast cancer even 20 years later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased complement system activation has been found in the sera of women affected by GCDB who developed a breast cancer, even twenty or more years later. C3f may predict an increased breast cancer risk in the healthy population and in women affected by predisposing conditions.
authors: Biopolymers and Proteomics Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, San Martino University Hospital and National Cancer Research Institute, Genoa, Italy.
authors: Aldo
authors: A
authors: Profumo
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Mangerini
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Rubagotti
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Romano
authors: Gianluca
authors: G
authors: Damonte
authors: Pamela
authors: P
authors: Guglielmini
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Facchiano
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Ferri
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Ricci
authors: Mattia
authors: M
authors: Rocco
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Boccardo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D003167:Complement Activation; D003179:Complement C3b / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C046821:complement C3f; D003179:Complement C3b