Objective To investigate the expression levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum N-telopeptide of type Ⅰ collagen (NTx) and pyridinoline-cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of typeⅠcollagen (ICTP) in patients with bone metastases of breast cancer and their values in diagnosing the occurrence of bone metastases.
Methods A total of 172 patients with breast cancer were divided into bone metastasis group (n=79) and non-bone metastasis group (n=93) according to the results of whole-body bone imaging and judgment criteria. The levels of IL-6, ALP, NTx and ICTP in serum were detected in both groups; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze values of serum IL-6, ALP, NTx and ICTP levels in the diagnosis of patients with bone metastasis of breast cancer; Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of bone metastasis in breast cancer patients.
Results The proportions of patients with primary tumor diameter larger than 5 cm, lymph node metastasis and grade Ⅲ of histological grading in the bone metastasis group were significantly higher than those in the non-bone metastasis group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The serum levels of IL-6, ALP, NTx and ICTP in the bone metastasis group were significantly higher than those in the non-bone metastasis group (P < 0.05). The areas under the curve of ROC curve in diagnosing bone metastasis of breast cancer by serum IL-6, ALP, NTx and ICTP levels were 0.646, 0.681, 0.663, 0.657, respectively. Lymph node metastasis, increased serum ALP and NTx levels were the risk factors for bone metastasis in patients with breast cancer (P < 0.05).
Conclusion Serum IL-6, ALP, NTx and ICTP levels in patients with bone metastasis of breast cancer are significantly increased. Serum IL-6, ALP, NTx and ICTP levels have certain diagnostic efficiencies for bone metastasis in patients with breast cancer, which are expected to be the potential serum markers for bone metastasis in patients with breast cancer.
DownLoad: