Exploring the potential of humanin as a biomarker for early breast cancer detection: a study of serum levels and diagnostic performance

Abstract

Introduction

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, and early detection is crucial for effective treatment. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to cancer development and progression. Humanin, a mitochondrial-derived peptide, has been shown to have cytoprotective effects and may be involved in breast cancer development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of humanin as a biomarker for breast cancer.

Methods

We recruited 45 female patients diagnosed with primary invasive ductal breast cancer and 45 healthy volunteers. Serum humanin levels were measured using ELISA, and other cancer markers were measured using an Advia Centaur Immunology Analyser.

Results

Our results showed that serum humanin levels were significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.008). ROC curve analysis indicated that humanin could effectively discriminate between patients and healthy individuals, with a sensitivity of 62.5% and a specificity of 77.5%.

Conclusion

This suggests that humanin may be a potential new biomarker for breast cancer screening and early detection. Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between humanin and breast cancer and to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Keywords:

• Humanin
• breast cancer
• mitochondrial dysfunction
• biomarker
• diagnosis

Author contributions

M.G. Hekim, S. Ozcan, and M. Ozcan: designed the study, contributed to the analysis of data and preparation of manuscript. M. G. Hekim; designed the study and contributed to data collection. M.Yur and N. Yıldırım collected the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Firat University Local Ethics Committee (Approve Date:16.09.2021, Protocol No:2021/09-25)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding.