Bartsch C, Bartsch H, Jain A K, Laumas K R, Wetterberg L
J Neural Transm. 1981;52(4):281-94. doi: 10.1007/BF01256753.
Urinary melatonin levels were measured in 10 postmenopausal Indian women suffering from advanced stages of breast cancer and in 9 well-matched women with non-endocrine complaints, mostly uterovaginal prolapse. Urines of each patient were collected over a period of 2-3 days in four 4-hourly intervals from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and one 8-hourly interval from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Serum LH, FSH, prolactin, estradiol and cortisol levels at 11 a.m. were determined as well as estrogen and progesterone receptors of the breast tumors. It was found that 24 hour urinary melatonin excretion in cancer patients was on the average 31% decreased as compared to the controls. This change was accompanied by a 33% increase in serum cortisol levels in the cancer patients. The melatonin excretion patterns of the cancer patients were not synchronized as compared to synchronized patterns of the controls. The number of tumors tested for steroid receptors does not yet allow to conclude if melatonin is different in patients with or without hormone-dependent tumors. The data suggest that pineal melatonin secretion may be modified in quantity as well as rhythmicity in breast cancer patients.
对10名患有晚期乳腺癌的绝经后印度女性以及9名匹配良好的患有非内分泌疾病（主要是子宫阴道脱垂）的女性测量了尿褪黑素水平。每位患者的尿液在2 - 3天内收集，从上午6点到晚上10点每4小时收集一次，从晚上10点到上午6点每8小时收集一次。同时测定上午11点时血清促黄体生成素（LH）、促卵泡生成素（FSH）、催乳素、雌二醇和皮质醇水平以及乳腺肿瘤的雌激素和孕激素受体。结果发现，与对照组相比，癌症患者24小时尿褪黑素排泄量平均降低了31%。这种变化伴随着癌症患者血清皮质醇水平升高33%。与对照组的同步模式相比，癌症患者的褪黑素排泄模式不同步。检测类固醇受体的肿瘤数量尚不足以得出有或没有激素依赖性肿瘤的患者中褪黑素是否存在差异的结论。数据表明，乳腺癌患者松果体褪黑素的分泌在量和节律上可能会发生改变。
