Potential Molecular Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Damage in Breast Cancer Survivors.

Damage of the central nervous system (CNS), manifested by cognitive impairment, occurs in 80% of women with breast cancer (BC) as a complication of surgical treatment and radiochemotherapy. In this study, the levels of ICAM-1, PECAM-1, NSE, and anti-NR-2 antibodies which are associated with the damage of the CNS and the endothelium were measured in the blood by ELISA as potential biomarkers that might reflect pathogenetic mechanisms in these patients. A total of 102 patients enrolled in this single-center trial were divided into four groups: (1) 26 patients after breast cancer treatment, (2) 21 patients with chronic brain ischemia (CBI) and asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ICA stenosis) (CBI + ICA stenosis), (3) 35 patients with CBI but without asymptomatic carotid stenosis, and (4) 20 healthy female volunteers (control group).