title: Quantitative comparison of immunohistochemical and PCR analysis of midkine expression in breast cancer types and serum midkine level.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Midkine (MK), a heparin-binding growth factor, has an important role in cancer progression. The aim of this study was to determine MK expression in breast tissue and the preoperative and postoperative serum levels of patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one patients with breast cancer participated in our study. The MK serum levels were measured pre- and postoperatively for these patients. We also analyzed breast tissues of the 61 patients immunohistochemically. We examined serum midkine levels in 49 healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MK expression was observed in 44 (72.1%) of 61 breast cancer patients. In breast cancer patients the serum MK levels (3.68 ± 2.13 ng/mL (mean ± SD)) were significantly higher than in the control group (1.77 ± 0.38 ng/mL) before tumor removal (P = 0.000). After tumor removal, serum MK levels (2.47 ± 1.00 ng/mL) were significantly (P = 0.000) decreased according to preoperative levels. Increased serum levels of MK were related with tumor stages when clinical parameters were analyzed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that increased serum MK levels and protein expressions were associated with the carcinogenesis of breast cancer. MK levels decreased after tumor removal. According to our findings, MK might be a useful tumor marker for patients with breast cancer.
authors: Denizli Health Services Vocational School, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Hülya
authors: H
authors: Çetin Sorkun
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Metin
authors: M
authors: Akbulut
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Yaşar
authors: Y
authors: Enli
authors: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Emre
authors: E
authors: Tepeli
authors: School of Health, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Sevgi
authors: S
authors: Özkan
authors: Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Ergün
authors: E
authors: Erdem
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D016207:Cytokines; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D000078792:Midkine; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D000078792:Midkine
keywords: ELISA; Midkine; breast cancer; immunohistochemistry; real-time quantitative PCR; serum