Agnes Lindholm, Marie-Louise Abrahamsen, Kristian Buch-Larsen, Djordje Marina, Michael Andersson, Jørn Wulff Helge, Peter Schwarz, Flemming Dela, Linn Gillberg
{"title":"Pro-inflammatory cytokines increase temporarily after adjuvant treatment for breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a longitudinal study.","authors":"Agnes Lindholm, Marie-Louise Abrahamsen, Kristian Buch-Larsen, Djordje Marina, Michael Andersson, Jørn Wulff Helge, Peter Schwarz, Flemming Dela, Linn Gillberg","doi":"10.1186/s13058-024-01898-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast cancer patients have an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease and for many patients, adjuvant therapy causes an altered lipid profile, insulin resistance and inflammation. Previous follow-up studies are inconclusive regarding the duration of therapy-induced inflammation. We examined the acute and persistent changes of adjuvant chemotherapy on inflammatory and metabolic health markers in breast cancer patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and metabolic health parameters were analyzed before, shortly after and every six months up to two years after adjuvant chemotherapy treatment in 51 postmenopausal early breast cancer (EBC) patients, as well as in 41 healthy age- and BMI-matched controls. A target-specific multiplex assay was applied for cytokine measurements.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Before initiation of adjuvant therapy, plasma IL-8 levels were higher in EBC patients (31%, p = 0.0001). Also, a larger proportion of the patients had a hsCRP level above 2 mg/L (41%) compared to the controls (17%, Χ<sup>2</sup> = 5.15, p = 0.023). Plasma levels of all five cytokines, but not hsCRP, were significantly increased after compared to before adjuvant chemotherapy (15-48% increase; all p ≤ 0.05). Already six months after ending chemotherapy treatment, all plasma cytokine levels were significantly reduced and close to pre-chemotherapy levels. Adjuvant chemotherapy caused a worsened lipid profile (increased triglycerides, lower HDL levels), insulin resistance and increased plasma insulin levels that remained high during the first year after chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Postmenopausal women with EBC have temporarily increased plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines after adjuvant chemotherapy. Although transient, the therapy-induced increase in plasma cytokine levels, together with dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, may contribute to cardiometabolic risk in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The clinical trial (registration number NCT03784651) was registered on www.</p><p><strong>Clinicaltrials: </strong>gov on 24 December 2018.</p>","PeriodicalId":49227,"journal":{"name":"Breast Cancer Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11481761/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Breast Cancer Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-024-01898-3","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer patients have an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease and for many patients, adjuvant therapy causes an altered lipid profile, insulin resistance and inflammation. Previous follow-up studies are inconclusive regarding the duration of therapy-induced inflammation. We examined the acute and persistent changes of adjuvant chemotherapy on inflammatory and metabolic health markers in breast cancer patients.
Methods: Plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and metabolic health parameters were analyzed before, shortly after and every six months up to two years after adjuvant chemotherapy treatment in 51 postmenopausal early breast cancer (EBC) patients, as well as in 41 healthy age- and BMI-matched controls. A target-specific multiplex assay was applied for cytokine measurements.
Results: Before initiation of adjuvant therapy, plasma IL-8 levels were higher in EBC patients (31%, p = 0.0001). Also, a larger proportion of the patients had a hsCRP level above 2 mg/L (41%) compared to the controls (17%, Χ2 = 5.15, p = 0.023). Plasma levels of all five cytokines, but not hsCRP, were significantly increased after compared to before adjuvant chemotherapy (15-48% increase; all p ≤ 0.05). Already six months after ending chemotherapy treatment, all plasma cytokine levels were significantly reduced and close to pre-chemotherapy levels. Adjuvant chemotherapy caused a worsened lipid profile (increased triglycerides, lower HDL levels), insulin resistance and increased plasma insulin levels that remained high during the first year after chemotherapy.
Conclusion: Postmenopausal women with EBC have temporarily increased plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines after adjuvant chemotherapy. Although transient, the therapy-induced increase in plasma cytokine levels, together with dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, may contribute to cardiometabolic risk in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.
Trial registration: The clinical trial (registration number NCT03784651) was registered on www.
期刊介绍:
Breast Cancer Research, an international, peer-reviewed online journal, publishes original research, reviews, editorials, and reports. It features open-access research articles of exceptional interest across all areas of biology and medicine relevant to breast cancer. This includes normal mammary gland biology, with a special emphasis on the genetic, biochemical, and cellular basis of breast cancer. In addition to basic research, the journal covers preclinical, translational, and clinical studies with a biological basis, including Phase I and Phase II trials.