title: Serum levels of apolipoprotein E correlates with disease progression and poor prognosis in breast cancer.
abstract: ApoE has been reported to be associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. In this study, we explored the potential diagnostic and prognostic role of serum ApoE in breast cancer patients. Subject cohorts consisted of 152 normal healthy controls female and 257 breast cancer cases. Serum levels of ApoE were determined with turbidimetric immunoassay. The serum levels of ApoE were significantly elevated in breast cancer patients compared with normal healthy controls (45.82 ± 13.96 mg/L vs. 33.61 ± 6.44 mg/L, respectively, P < 0.0001) and also significantly associated with TNM stage and lymph nodes status (all P < 0.05). Area under receiver operating characteristic curve for serum ApoE discriminate breast cancer patients from controls was 0.786 with specificity of 0.974 and sensitivity of 0.541, the cut-off value of ApoE was 43.15 mg/L. Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis showed that the high serum ApoE group (serum ApoE ≥ 43.15 mg/L) had a poorer progression-free survival and overall survival compared with low serum ApoE group (serum ApoE < 43.15 mg/L) (all P < 0.05). In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis displayed serum ApoE as an independent risk factor of breast cancer patients prognosis (all P < 0.05). Serum ApoE played a role as serological biomarkers that indicated diagnostic and prognostic evaluation in breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiangdong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Linjing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit and Division of Respiratory Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Junhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Pinning
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.|Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Pingjuan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.|Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuesu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit and Division of Respiratory Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, People's Republic of China. luojm3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jinmei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. lilaish@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Laisheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: ApoE; Biomarker; Breast cancer; Prognosis; Progression