Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) as a Potential Biomarker of the Peripheral Nervous System Damage Following Breast Cancer Treatment

Damage to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is a common complication of breast cancer (BC) treatment, with 60 to 80% of breast cancer survivors experiencing symptoms of PNS damage. In the current study, the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), galectin-3 (Gal-3), and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) were measured in the blood serum of BC patients by ELISA as potential biomarkers that might indicate the PNS damage. Sixty-seven patients were enrolled in this multi-center trial and compared to the aged-matched healthy female volunteers (control group) (n = 25). Intergroup comparison of biomarker levels (i.e., Gal-3 and BDNF) did not show significant differences in any of the studied subgroups. However, intriguingly, NT-3 levels were significantly higher in BC patients as compared to healthy volunteers, constituting 14.85 [10.3; 18.0] and 5.74 [4.56; 13.7] pg/mL, respectively (p < 0.001). In conclusion, NT-3 might be employed as a potential biomarker in BC patients with clinical manifestations of PNS damage. However, further studies to validate its correlation to the degree of peripheral nervous system lesions are of high value.

Automated summary

Peripheral nervous system (PNS) damage is a common complication of breast cancer (BC) treatment, affecting 60-80% of survivors. This study measured the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), galectin-3 (Gal-3), and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the blood serum of BC patients to investigate their potential as biomarkers for PNS damage. The results showed that NT-3 levels were significantly higher in BC patients compared to healthy volunteers, suggesting NT-3 could be a potential biomarker for PNS damage in BC patients.