title: Serum Adiponectin Level Association with Breast Cancer Risk: Evidence from a Case-Control Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adiponectin is a protein, synthesized by adipose tissue, which has a questionable role in breast cancer pathogenesis. This study focused on serum levels of adiponectin among cases and controls, and its possible association with breast cancer risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study covered 175 diagnosed breast cancer patients with positive histopathology from Breast Clinic, surgical unit-1, Civil Hospital, Karachi and 175 healthy controls from various screening programs. Blood samples were obtained after an overnight fast and later analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fasting blood glucose was significantly raised, while serum adiponectin was significantly decreased in breast cancer cases when compared to control subjects. To find the precise influence of serum adiponectin on the risk of breast cancer, subjects were divided in to quartiles based on serum levels of adiponectin. It is observed that risk of breast cancer decreased with rising quartile. Q2 (25th-50th) had the highest OR=1.76 (CI: 0.93-3.34), Q3 (50th-75th) has OR=0.89 (CI: 0.48-1.64), while subjects in the highest quartile Q4 (>75th) had significantly (p< 0.05) decreased risk of breast cancer having OR=0.06 (CI: 0.02-0.15), when compared to the lowest quartile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated a statistically significant association of elevated serum adiponectin with decreased risk of breast cancer. This signifies a protective role of adiponectin via an intricate mechanism of masking mitogenic growth factors in breast carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry, medicine, dow medical college, DOW university of health sciences, Karachi, Pakistan E-mail : danish-haseen@duhs.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Syed Danish Haseen
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Aziza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khanam
authors.forename: Naheed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sultan
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Idrees
authors.forename: Naheed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhter
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000502:physiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose