The application of bone collagen metabolism markers in bone metastases of breast carcinoma

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the values of using specific osteolytic bone metabolic markers such as serum type Ⅰ collagen carboxyterminal telopeptide(sICTP),urinary nitrogen-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type Ⅰ collagen(uNTx),urinary pyridinoline crosslinks(uPYD)in bone metastasis of breast cancer.Methods The levels of slCTP,uNTx and uPYD in 72 patients with breast cancer were measured using ELISA.The sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic value in bone metastasis of breast cancer were cal-culated.Seventy-two patients with breast carcinoma were divided into two groups depending on the presence of bone metastasis according to bone scan findings and confirmed by X-ray and/or CT.The level of bone markers was compared between the two groups.Further relation between bone metabolic marker and tumor behavior in the patients with bone metastases was studied detailedly.Results The levels of all bone mark-ers in patients with bone metastasis were significantly higher than those of in ones without bone metastasis(P＜0.05).A significant correlation was seen between each two markers(r＞0.5,P＜0.01).The sensitivity and specificity was 72.00% and 83.33% in uNTx; 80.56% and 80.56% in uPYD; 80.56% and 97.22% in sICTP,respectively.Evident differences were seen between the extent of skeletal infiltration and the levels of the three biomarkers(P＜0.05).The correlations were seen between the levels of the three biomarkers and the risk of occurrence of bone metastasis(P＜0.05).Conclusion The measurement of sICTP,uNTx and uPYD are of significant utility as biochemical markers of bone metastasis in patients with breast cancer and can be used to achieve a timely diagnosis for bone metastasis of breast cancer. Key words: Breast neoplasms; Bone neoplasms; Neoplasm metastasis; Biological markers; Collagen type Ⅰ