Thiol-disulphide Homeostasıs and Ischemia-modified Albumın Level and its Relatıonshıp with Clınicopathological Features of Breast Cancer.

Objective: To investigate the status of thiol-disulphide homeostasis and ischemic-modified albumin and their association with clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer.
Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle University, Turkey, from April to September 2021.
Methodology: Forty treatment-naive female patients diagnosed with breast cancer who presented to the Oncology Clinic of the hospital and 33 healthy women with no comorbidities were included. Serum levels of native thiol (NT), disulphide (Ds), total thiol (TT), IMA (ischemic modified albumin) at diagnosis and disulphide/native thiol (Ds/NT), disulphide/total thiol (Ds/TT), and the ratios of native thiol/total thiol (NT/TT) were analysed by the colorimetric method.
Results: Median age at diagnosis was 44 (29-70) years. The majority of patients had stage II-III disease (77.5%). Mean serum levels of TT were significantly lower in breast cancer patients (462.45 ± 100.2 μmol/L) compared to healthy controls (507.28 ± 75.72 μmol/L) (p=0.038). Mean serum levels of Ds were significantly lower in breast cancer patients (20.25 ± 5.94 μmol/L) compared to healthy controls (22.99 ± 3.56 μmol/L) (p=0.018). Meanwhile, mean IMA levels were significantly higher in breast cancer patients (0.81 ± 0.05 μmol/L) compared to healthy controls (0.73 ± 0.19 μmol/L) (p=0.016). NT and TT levels showed a moderate correlation with the percentage of fat mass and body mass index (BMI), and a weak correlation with age (p<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses examining the association between thiol-disulphide levels and patient clinical characteristics demonstrated that NT and TT levels had a statistically significant relationship with body mass index and menopausal status (p<0.05), with lower levels of NT and TT in postmenopausal patients and patients with high BMI.
Conclusion: Decreased TT and Ds levels and increased IMA levels were determined in patients diagnosed with breast cancer compared to the healthy control group. Thiol-disulphide levels were observed to be associated with clinical characteristics such as menopausal status and BMI.
Key Words: Breast cancer, Thiol, Ischemic modified albumin.