Serum deoxyribonucleases in patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Serum acid and alkaline DNase levels were determined in the serum of 224 breast cancer patients and 110 healthy individuals. Values above 400 U/ml serum for the acid DNase and 200 U/ml serum for the alkaline DNase were taken as abnormal. Whereas a percentage of breast cancer patients showed increased DNase levels none of the healthy individuals reached an abnormal value. DNase levels were correlated with the clinical status of the breast cancer patients. The percentage of patients with elevated DNase levels was found to be increased with increasing clinical stage. For the acid DNase it was found to be 4 63 ( 6%), 2 11 ( 18%), 7 25 ( 28%), 39 80 ( 49%) and 43 45 ( 96%) for benign tumors and stages I, II, III and IV breast carcinomas, respectively, whereas for alkaline DNase it was 2 63 ( 3%), 2 11 ( 18%), 8 25 ( 32%), 42 80 ( 52%) and 42 45 ( 93%). All 20 of the clinical stage III patients examined 1 month after modified radical mastectomy, as well as 35 other breast cancer patients on adjuvant therapy, had a normal value of DNase levels. With few exceptions i.e., rheumatic fever and polymyositis, no significant increase in nuclease activity was found in the serum of patients with some other conditions causing inflammatory responses and cell death. These preliminary findings indicate that measurements of serum DNase could be used in diagnosis and in monitoring the response to surgical treatment of breast cancer patients.