BREAST CANCER IN OBESITY: MENOPAUSAL STATUS AND REDOX CHARACTERISTICS OF ADIPOSE TISSUE DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

Summary. Aim: to investigate the levels of superoxide radical (SR) generation and matrix metalloproteinase activity in tumor and adipose tissue adjacent to the tumour (ATA) depending on BMI and menopausal status of breast cancer patients. Object and methods: tumor tissue samples and ATA (postoperative material) from 70 women with breast cancer were studied. The methods used were EPR spectrometry, polyacrylamide gel zymography, general clinical and statistical methods. Results: a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the rate of SR generation at normal weight and obesity was observed in postmenopausal patients, both in the tumour (1.6 times) and in the АТА (1.7 times); there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the total activity of MMP-2 and -9 at normal weight and obesity, both in the tumour (2.2 times) and in the АТА (1.9 times). In premenopausal patients with breast cancer with overweight and normal weight do not differ significantly in the frequency of distant metastasis and the overall survival. Рostmenopausal patients with obesity were characterized by a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the frequency of distant metastasis and a decrease in the overall survival. At levels of MMP-2 activity in the ATA above 2.8 units, patients had a significantly shorter life expectancy (p = 0.02) and a higher risk of adverse disease outcome (HR = 2.9) than at lower levels of enzyme activity. Conclusion: the results obtained indicate the prospects for further research and the possibility of using these factors of the tumour microenvironment (SR generation and MMP activity in tumor tissue and ATA) as effective markers of breast cancer prognosis in the presence of overweight.