Plasma hepcidin in early-stage breast cancer patients: no relationship with interleukin-6, erythropoietin and erythroferrone.
OBJECTIVE
Hepcidin-25 production is stimulated by systemic inflammation, and it interferes with iron utilization, leading to anemia. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the plasma levels of hepcidin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), erythropoietin (EPO) and erythroferrone (ERFE) in patients with benign breast disease or cancer.


METHODS
Plasma samples from a cohort of 131 patients (47 with benign breast disease and 84 with breast cancer) were subjected to the evaluation of hepcidin, IL-6, EPO and ERFE using SELDI-TOF-MS or immunoassays.


RESULTS
An elevated hepcidin was observed in malignant breast tumors compared to benign ones. No correlation was observed between hepcidin and IL-6, EPO or ERFE.


CONCLUSIONS
Since the study included a cohort of patients (87%) with breast cancers smaller than 2 cm, these results may support our previous evidence about the potential role of hepcidin in breast cancer disease.
a Unit of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Bioinformatics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Chiara Maura
CM
Ciniselli
b Laboratory of Proteomics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Maida
M
De Bortoli
b Laboratory of Proteomics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Elena
E
Taverna
b Laboratory of Proteomics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Luca
L
Varinelli
a Unit of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Bioinformatics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Sara
S
Pizzamiglio
c Biomarkers Unit , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Silvia
S
Veneroni
d Laboratory Medicine , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Chiara
C
Bonini
e Molecular Targeting Unit , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Rosaria
R
Orlandi
a Unit of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Bioinformatics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Paolo
P
Verderio
b Laboratory of Proteomics , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori , Milan , Italy.
Italia
I
Bongarzone
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*
C000600298:Erfe protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D004921:Erythropoietin
BMP6; IL-6; benign breast disease; breast cancer; early diagnosis; erytroferrone; erytropoiesis; erytropoietin; hepcidin; inflammation; iron metabolism