Abstract:
Objective To detect the exposure levels of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in the blood of breast cancer patients and healthy subjects, and explore the relationships between PAEs and breast cancer.
Methods From October 2015 to December 2016, based on a case-control study in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 60 breast cancer patients and 60 healthy subjects were recruited and investigated by questionnaire survey and physical examination. The questionnaire included gender, age, age of menarche, habits of smoking and drinking, education level, physical exercise, and lactation time. The physical examination was carried out by professional medical staff to measure the height, weight, and blood pressure of the study subjects and to calculate body mass index (BMI). The levels of 15 PAEs and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 153 (a serological specific index of breast cancer) in serum were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and electrochemiluminescence, respectively. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between PAEs and CA153, and logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of breast cancer.
Results For all 120 subjects, the differences of BMI, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, education level, marital status, physical exercise status, drinking habit, smoking habit, and lactation time were not statistically significant between the breast cancer group and the control group (Ps > 0.05), except the menarche age (P < 0.05). The positive rates of diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), dibutylphthalate (DBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethoxyethylphthalate (DMEP), bis(4-methyl-2-pentyl) phthalate (BMPP), bis(2-ethoxyethyl) phthalate (DEEP), and dipenyl phthalate (DPP) were all higher than 80% in the study subjects. The Spearman rank correlation analysis results showed that CA153 was positively correlated with DEP, DIBP, DBP, DMEP, DPP, and DEHP (r=0.282, 0.581, 0.664, 0.632, 0.499, and 0.597, respectively, Ps < 0.05). The multiple logistic regression analysis results showed that DIBP, DBP, DMEP, DPP, and DEHP were the risk factors of breast cancer (OR=2.356, 5.253, 1.126, 1.879, and 2.217, respectively, Ps < 0.05).
Conclusion Exposure to PAEs might increase the risk of breast cancer.