Evaluating the Role of miR34a in Predicting Early Myocardial Damage in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Anthracycline-based Chemotherapy
Eda Caliskan Yildirim1, Emre Gedik2, Gurcan Gunaydin2, Cem Coteli3, Necla Ozer3, Aysegul Uner4, Deniz Yucel5, Alev Turker61Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye, 2Department of Basic Oncology, Hacettepe University Oncology Institute, Ankara, Türkiye, 3Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye, 4Department of Pathology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye, 5Department of Preventive Oncology, Hacettepe University Oncology Institute, Ankara, Türkiye, 6Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye
Objectives: Currently, there are no biomarkers for early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. This study explores whether plasma levels of microRNA34a (miR34a) could serve as predictive markers for cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Methods: Forty-four breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy for the first time were en rolled. Plasma samples were collected before and after chemotherapy to assess cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I), miR34a, pre miR34a levels, and echocardiographic strain. Results: We observed statistically significant increases in cTn-I, miR34a, and pre-miR34a levels post-treatment, with miR34a and pre-miR34a increasing by 2.5-fold and 2.3-fold, respectively. Echocardiographic analysis showed signifi cant reductions in global longitudinal strain (GLS) from baseline after anthracycline treatment. Increases in plasma miR34a levels post-doxorubicin did not correlate with changes in cTn-I or GLS. Furthermore, while a higher miR34a/ pre-miR34a ratio was noted in patients with myocardial deformation compared to those without, this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Despite increases in miR34a levels following anthracycline-based chemotherapy, there is no clear statisti cal correlation with early myocardial damage. This suggests that miR34a is not a reliable biomarker for anthracycline induced cardiotoxicity, underscoring the need for further research to identify more definitive predictive markers for cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients. Keywords: Anthracycline, breast cancer, biomarker, cardiotoxicity, microRNA
Cite This Article
Caliskan Yildirim E, Gedik E, Gunaydin G, Coteli C, Ozer N, Uner A, Yucel D, Turker A. Evaluating the Role of miR34a in Predicting Early Myocardial Damage in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Anthracycline-based Chemotherapy. EJMI. 2024; 8(3): 164-172
Corresponding Author: Eda Caliskan Yildirim