Anticorpos anti-neutrófilos em pacientes com câncer de mama e sua correlação com parâmetros clinicopatológicos

Abstract

Introduction: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are able to activate neutrophils through binding to their antigens, such as myeloperoxidase (p-ANCA), inducing neutrophil degranulation and respiratory burst even in sterile situations. This corroborates for cellular and tissue damage, and may be involved in the development and progression of breast cancer. Objective: This study measured pANCA levels in serum and breast tissue of women (n= 150) diagnosed with benign breast lesions (n= 58) and mammary carcinoma (n= 92), correlating these levels with clinicopathological aspects. Methods: Peripheral blood and breast tissue samples were collected from women attended at Francisco Beltrão Cancer Hospital - CEONC, Paraná, Brazil, from May 2015 to December 2017. Blood samples were centrifuged to obtain serum, and the tissue fragments were homogenized and centrifuged for further analysis of the supernatants. The analyses were conducted in pools, grouped according to different clinicopathological characteristics. The pANCA dosage was performed by enzyme immunoassay (IBL International Myeloperoxidase-Ab ELISA Kit, RE75601). The results were evaluated by the statistical program GraphPad Prism 6.0, considering p≤0,05 as significant. Results: p-ANCA levels were found to be elevated in pools related to worse prognostic aspects such as high histological grade (serum p=0.0465, tissue p<0.0001) lymph nodal status (serum p<0.001, tissue p=0.034) and risk factors for breast cancer, as body mass index (tissue p<0.001), menopausal status (tissue p<0.001) and <45 years (serum p=0.0006, tissue p<0.0001) at diagnosis. Conclusion: Higher levels of p-ANCA demonstrate an association with clinicopathological parameters related to worst prognosis of breast cancer. It can be inferred that greater neutrophil activation might occurs in these conditions, and, consequently, greater degranulation and formation of NETs.