Antioxidant status and breast cancer

The effect of antioxidants and breast cancer (BC)
has been studied with inconclusive results. Thus the
objectives o f the study w ere to assess the serum total
antioxidant status (T A S ) and uric acid (U A )
concentration of newly diagnosed breast cancer
patients an d to c o m p a re with the age m atched
apparently healthy fem ales.
Consent w as obtained from newly diagnosed BC
patients (n=150) and apparently healthy women in the
same age group (n=75). Serum U A concentrations w ere
measured using K.one 20X T biochemical analyzer and
serum TAS w as analyzed as Trolox equivalents using
A B T S [2 ,2 '-a z in o b is (3 -e th y lb e n z o th ia z o lin e -6 -
sulfonic acid)] free radical scavenging assay. Ethical
approval for the study w as obtained (631/12,28/14).
Mean serum U A concentration o f BC patients and
healthy fem ales w ere 200±57 pmol/L and 256±72
pmol/L respectively. B C w om en had U A levels closer
to the lower reference margin and w as significantly
lower (p=0.000) when com pared with apparently
healthy women. B C women having UA less than 194
pmol/L (cutoff value studied via RO C curve with 92%
sensitivity and 63% specificity, p = 0 .0 0 0 ,95% C l 0.68-
0.83) showed a 2.2 risk (95% C l, 1.7,2.8) o f having BC
compared to healthy women. Mean serum TAC o f BC
patients and healthy fem ales in Trolox equivalents w ere
6.25(±1.35) and 6.09(± 1.31), respectively and not
significantly different (p>0.05). N either serum UA nor
TAC concentrations significantly differed (p>0.05)
according to the menopausal status among BC and
healthy women.
Even though TAS studied via ABTS free radical
scavenging assay is not indicative o f BC risk, h, ,g
serum U A less than 194 pm ol/L indicate twice (2.2) the
risk o f BC compared to apparently healthy females
among the study sample.