BACKGROUND

Breast cancer constitutes 25% of all cancer cases diagnosed in Kano State, Nigeria. This study investigated the relationship between adiponectin gene polymorphisms (AGP) and adipokine and lipid profile in breast cancer patients in Kano.

METHODS

The study population was composed of 80 randomly consented breast cancer patients from the three major hospitals in Kano State, Nigeria, and 40 age-matched controls across the metropolis. Biochemical assays were analyzed using standard procedures and ELISA. Furthermore, AGP was investigated using PCR-PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

The incidence of breast cancer was highest in patients aged 41-50 years (25%), with a high frequency of overweight and obesity. Serum adiponectin and HDL levels were lower (p < 0.05) in the patients, whereas those of leptin, TC, TG, and LDL were higher (p < 0.05) relative to control subjects. A positive significant correlation was observed between leptin and adiponectin (r = 0.522, p < 0.0001), TG vs TC (0.446, p = 0.001), LDL vs TG (0.419, p = 0.002), and TC vs LDL (r = 0.965, p < 0.0001) in the patients. No significant association in genotype frequencies for 276G/T (χ2 = 4.35, p = 0.11) and 45 T/G (χ2 = 2.45, p = 0.12) polymorphisms between patients and controls. Furthermore, BMI was significantly associated with the 276G/T genotype.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the adiponectin 45 T/G and 276 G/T gene polymorphisms may not significantly influence the risk of breast cancer among patients attending these hospitals in Kano State. However, the 276 T/G genotype shows a potential association with obesity in this population. Notably, variations in adiponectin and leptin levels appear to be linked to breast cancer risk, highlighting their potential as novel biomarkers for predicting breast cancer prognosis and progression.