Blood Tests for Detecting Antioxidant and Inflammation Levels Could Diagnose Breast Cancer
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 07 Apr 2022 |
|
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the world. Identifying new diagnostic techniques is of major importance to efforts that aim to minimize the disease’s devastating effects. Now, a new study that analyzes levels of antioxidants and stress markers in the blood could lead to a new diagnostic tool for breast cancer.
Researchers from the University of Lahore (Lahore, Pakistan) explored the role that inflammatory and stress markers may play in the development and progression of breast cancer. The research team examined blood samples from premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer. When compared to age-matched controls without cancer, the breast cancer patients had significantly increased levels of inflammatory markers.
Among the overexpressed markers were the pro-inflammatory protein interleukin-1, matrix metalloproteinase 9 - an enzyme that is overexpressed in several diseases - and heat shock protein 27. This protein acts as an antioxidant that typically prevents or reduces cell death. However, in some disease states - such as cancer - heat shock protein 27 has been found to be both protective and destructive. In addition, the breast cancer group had low levels of protective compounds such as vitamins A, C and D, catalase - an enzyme that protects cells from oxidative stress - and the antioxidants superoxide dismutase and glutathione.
“The breast cancer pathophysiology included an overbalance of oxidants or stress markers and an underbalance of antioxidants,” said Samina Malik, MBBS, MPhil, first author of the study. This proportion of pro- and anti-inflammatory components may play “a crucial role in the metastasis of breast cancer” and may be useful as a diagnostic marker for the disease, according to the researchers.
Related Links:
University of Lahore
Latest Hematology News
- Platelet Activity Blood Test in Middle Age Could Identify Early Alzheimer’s Risk
- Microvesicles Measurement Could Detect Vascular Injury in Sickle Cell Disease Patients
- ADLM’s New Coagulation Testing Guidance to Improve Care for Patients on Blood Thinners
- Viscoelastic Testing Could Improve Treatment of Maternal Hemorrhage
- Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments
- Platelets Could Improve Early and Minimally Invasive Detection of Cancer
- Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment
- Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results
- First Point-of-Care Heparin Monitoring Test Provides Results in Under 15 Minutes
- New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
- Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD Status Demonstrates 100% Accuracy
- WBC Count Could Predict Severity of COVID-19 Symptoms
- New Platelet Counting Technology to Help Labs Prevent Diagnosis Errors
- Streamlined Approach to Testing for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Improves Diagnostic Accuracy
- POC Hemostasis System Could Help Prevent Maternal Deaths
- New Test Assesses Oxygen Delivering Ability of Red Blood Cells by Measuring Their Shape
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Chemical Imaging Probe Could Track and Treat Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of illness and death among men, with many patients eventually developing resistance to standard hormone-blocking therapies. These drugs often lose effectiveness... Read more
Mismatch Between Two Common Kidney Function Tests Indicates Serious Health Problems
Creatinine has long been the standard for measuring kidney filtration, while cystatin C — a protein produced by all human cells — has been recommended as a complementary marker because it is influenced... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
Blood Test Accurately Detects Brain Amyloid Pathology in Symptomatic Patients
New research has reinforced the use of a novel blood test as a highly accurate tool for detecting brain amyloid pathology in symptomatic patients, helping healthcare professionals in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.... Read more
New Molecular Test Improves Diagnostic Accuracy of Lyme Disease
Diagnosing Lyme disease early remains one of the biggest challenges in infectious disease care. The condition is increasing across the United States, especially in the Northeast, although many patients... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Chip Captures Cancer Cells from Blood to Help Select Right Breast Cancer Treatment
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for about a quarter of all breast cancer cases and generally carries a good prognosis. This non-invasive form of the disease may or may not become life-threatening.... Read more
Blood-Based Liquid Biopsy Model Analyzes Immunotherapy Effectiveness
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer care by harnessing the immune system to fight tumors, yet predicting who will benefit remains a major challenge. Many patients undergo costly and taxing treatment... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
Rapid Assay Identifies Bloodstream Infection Pathogens Directly from Patient Samples
Bloodstream infections in sepsis progress quickly and demand rapid, precise diagnosis. Current blood-culture methods often take one to five days to identify the pathogen, leaving clinicians to treat blindly... Read more
Blood-Based Molecular Signatures to Enable Rapid EPTB Diagnosis
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) remains difficult to diagnose and treat because it spreads beyond the lungs and lacks easily accessible biomarkers. Despite TB infecting 10 million people yearly, the... Read more
15-Minute Blood Test Diagnoses Life-Threatening Infections in Children
Distinguishing minor childhood illnesses from potentially life-threatening infections such as sepsis or meningitis remains a major challenge in emergency care. Traditional tests can take hours, leaving... Read more
High-Throughput Enteric Panels Detect Multiple GI Bacterial Infections from Single Stool Swab Sample
Gastrointestinal (GI) infections are among the most common causes of illness worldwide, leading to over 1.7 million deaths annually and placing a heavy burden on healthcare systems. Conventional diagnostic... Read morePathology
view channel
AI Tool Predicts Treatment Success in Rectal Cancer Patients
Artificial intelligence (AI) may soon help clinicians identify which rectal cancer patients are likely to respond well to treatment, using only the routine biopsy slides already obtained at diagnosis.... Read more
Blood Test and Sputum Analysis Predict Acute COPD Exacerbation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a major contributor to global illness, largely driven by cigarette smoking and marked by irreversible lung damage. Acute exacerbations can accelerate... Read more
AI Tool to Transform Skin Cancer Detection with Near-Perfect Accuracy
Melanoma continues to be one of the most difficult skin cancers to diagnose because it often resembles harmless moles or benign lesions. Traditional AI tools depend heavily on dermoscopic images alone,... Read more
Unique Immune Signatures Distinguish Rare Autoimmune Condition from Multiple Sclerosis
Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated disease (MOGAD) is a rare autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the myelin sheath in the central nervous system. Although symptoms... Read moreTechnology
view channel
AI Saliva Sensor Enables Early Detection of Head and Neck Cancer
Early detection of head and neck cancer remains difficult because the disease produces few or no symptoms in its earliest stages, and lesions often lie deep within the head or neck, where biopsy or endoscopy... Read more
AI-Powered Biosensor Technology to Enable Breath Test for Lung Cancer Detection
Detecting lung cancer early remains one of the biggest challenges in oncology, largely because current tools are invasive, expensive, or unable to identify the disease in its earliest phases.... Read more
Industry
view channel
Abbott Acquires Cancer-Screening Company Exact Sciences
Abbott (Abbott Park, IL, USA) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Exact Sciences (Madison, WI, USA), enabling it to enter and lead in fast-growing cancer diagnostics segments.... Read more
