Diagnostic Value of Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Benign and Malignant Breast Tumors

Received 19 July 2009; accepted 22 October 2009. published online 29 January 2010.

Background and Aims

The present study was carried out to evaluate the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and its isoenzymes ADA1 and ADA2 activities as a diagnostic tool in patients with benign and malignant breast disease.

Methods

Total ADA, ADA1, and ADA2 activities of serum and tumor were analyzed using 58 subjects including 20 patients with benign breast disease (BBD), 34 patients with primary breast cancer, and 20 patients as normal control subjects.

Results

The mean values for total ADA and ADA2 activities in the serum and tumor of BBD were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (p <0.01). Furthermore, the mean values for total ADA and ADA2 activities of patients with breast cancer were significantly higher than those of the benign group (p <0.005) and healthy subjects (p <0.0001).

Conclusions

Based on the present results, it is concluded that the assessment of total ADA and ADA2 activities may be used as a reliable test for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast disease.

(ARCMED-D-09-00345)

Key Words: Adenosine deaminase, Benign breast disease, Breast cancer, Isoenzyme

a Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cancer Research Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran

b Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Science, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

c Department of Surgery, School of Medical Science, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

Address reprint requests to: F. Karami-Tehrani, Ph.D., Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modarres University, P.O. Box: 14115-331, Tehran, Iran; Phone: +98 (21) 88011001 (ext. 3567); FAX: +98 (21) 82884555

PII: S0188-4409(09)00201-X

doi:10.1016/j.arcmed.2009.10.012

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