8−Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8−oxodG) is the commonly used marker of oxidative stress−derived DNA damage. 8−OxodG formation is regulated by local antioxidant capacity and DNA repair enzyme activity. Earlier studies have reported contradictory data on the function of 8−oxodG as a prognostic factor in different cancer types.

We assessed pre−operative serum 8−oxodG levels with an enzyme−linked immunosorbent assay in a well−defined series of 173 breast cancer patients. 8−OxodG expression in the nuclei of cancer cells from 150 of these patients was examined by immunohistochemistry.

The serum 8−oxodG levels and immunohistochemical 8−oxodG expression were in concordance with each other (P<0.05). Negative 8−oxodG immunostaining was an independent prognostic factor for poor breast cancer−specific survival according to the multivariate analysis (P<0.01). This observation was even more remarkable when ductal carcinomas only (n=140) were considered (P<0.001). A low serum 8−oxodG level was associated statistically significantly with lymphatic vessel invasion and a positive lymph node status.

Low serum 8−oxodG levels and a low immunohistochemical 8−oxodG expression were associated with an aggressive breast cancer phenotype. In addition, negative 8−oxodG immunostaining was a powerful prognostic factor for breast cancer−specific death in breast carcinoma patients.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication, 23 February 2010; doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605565 www.bjcancer.com.

PMID: 20179711 [PubMed − as supplied by publisher] Source: National Library of Medicine.