title: The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on plasma TAT and F 1+2 levels in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased thromboembolic disorders and chemotherapy-induced thromboembolic events are well known phenomena in patients with breast cancer. Antithrombin III (AT III) inactivates thrombin, resulting in increased thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) levels. Activated factor X cleaves prothrombin and thrombin, resulting in increased levels of prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F 1+2). Increased TAT and F 1+2 levels show coagulation activation. The aim of this study was to examine plasma levels of TAT and F 1+2 and the effect of anthracycline-based chemotherapy on plasma TAT and F 1+2 in patients with operable breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients and 30 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Levels of TAT and F 1+2 were investigated before and after adjuvant chemotherapy. Basal levels (pre-chemotherapy) of TAT and F 1+2 in patients were compared with those in healthy controls and patient levels after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Levels of TAT and F 1+2 were determined using the ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TAT and d-dimer levels were significantly higher in patients, (P: 0.02 and P<0.001, respectively). Post-chemotherapy F 1+2 levels were higher than basal levels (P: 0.02). F 1+2 levels were higher in patients, although the difference was not statistically significant (P: 0.52). There was no difference between basal and post-chemotherapy TAT levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, while higher post-chemotherapy F 1+2 levels suggest that the cumulative effect of chemotherapy increases the risk of thrombosis, TAT and d-dimer levels indicate that the effect of the cancer further increases the risk of thrombosis in patients with operable breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey. Electronic address: turkanozturktr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Turkan Ozturk
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Topcu
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kavgacı
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation oncology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canyılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orem
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Diler
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Us
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Feyyaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fazıl
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aydın
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000990:Antithrombin III; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D011516:Prothrombin; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; C045879:prothrombin fragment 1.2; D000990:Antithrombin III; D011516:Prothrombin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases
keywords: Breast cancer; Prothrombin fragment 1+2; Thrombin–antithrombin