Study Of The Predictive Value Of Amino Acids And Nucleosides Metabolites In Breast Cancer

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the predictive value of efficacy in breast cancer, by detecting the concentration and material composition of serum or urine amino acids and nucleosides , and to further confirm their diagnosis of breast cancer in the role. Methods: From May,2007 to June,2008, a total of 31 breast cancer patients with measurable indicators (including patients with advanced disease and Stage II or III of neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients)were studied, of which 23 patients have completed 2 cycles of chemotherapy, and were evaluated after 2 cycles of chemotherapy . Serum and urine samples of breast cancer patients were collected before and after 2 cycles of chemotherapy, and the same done in the control group of 30 healthy women. The concentration and composition of serum or urine amino acids and nucleosides in the urine were detected by the use of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry(GC/MS),Capillary Electrophoresis/Mass Spectrometry (CE /MS) and Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (UPLC / MS) analysis technology in the control group, breast cancer patients before and after chemotherapy. Results: Serum amino acids testing: Serum alanine, valine, proline and glutamine and tyrosine before chemotherapy was significantly lower compared with the control group(P <0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the groups before and after chemotherapy or in different effect groups. Amino acid in urine testing: The relative excretion of proline, leucine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, methionine, Phenylalanine, tryptophan and L-arginine eight substances in the urine of breast cancer patients before chemotherapy significantly increased than healthy people (P <0.05). Urinary amino acids was not obvious difference in emissions before and after chemotherapy. Urinary nucleoside materials testing: the majority of nucleoside substances in breast cancer patients have a significant increase in emissions, but decrease in effective groups. In particular, molecular weight of 235,319 and 319 significantly increase before chemotherapy. But for the three nucleoside material , patients with clinical benefit from chemotherapy have a significant drop in emissions, but not not obvious in patients with disease progression. Conclusion: There is statistically significant differences between breast cancer patients and healthy control group in concentration of serum amino acids, urine amino acids and nucleotides, which are expected as new diagnostic markers. Nucleoside substances in urine show significant differences before and after chemotherapy, and related with effects, which gives an information that urinary nucleoside may be a potential predictor of efficacy. However, more research or expanding the sample is required to confirm that conclusions. The predictive value of blood and urine amino acids has yet to be studied further.