Measurement of Serum Creatine Kinase and Lactate Dehydrogenase Enzymes in Sudanese Patients with Breast Cancer under Treatment

Abstract

A descriptive, case-control study conducted in Radiation isotopes center - Khartoum, during the period from May to October 2008, the study group were obtained from those living in Khartoum state. Analytical and statistical methods were applied to estimate the levels of Creatine kinase and Lactate dehydrogenase enzymes in women with breast cancer under different types of treatment including mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. A total of (63) women – both case and control subjects – were studied, their ages were between 35 to 65 years, in which (33) women were the test subjects, including (11) with mastectomy, (11) receiving chemotherapy, and (11) with radiotherapy. 30 healthy women were the control subjects, and their ages were between 35 to 65 years. Blood samples from each subject were taken, serum specimens were analyzed specterophotometricaly for CK and LDH activities. The results were statistically analyzed. The results obtained showed that, there was insignificant difference between the means of serum CK levels, among the test group compared to the control group, with a P value of 0.252, and a high significant difference between the means of serum LDH activity, among the test group compared to the control group with a P value of 0.000. The ANOVA test results showed that, there was insignificant difference between the means of serum CK levels with a P value of 0.406, 0.847 and 0.569 among the test groups mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy respectively compared to the control group, and no increase in enzyme level. The test also showed that, there was significant difference between the means of serum LDH activity, among the mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy groups with a P value of 0.019, 0.002 and 0.004 compared to the control group. This study concluded that, in women with breast cancer under treatment, the level of total CK was normal because the enzyme predominates mainly in muscle tissues and breast contain adipose tissues, but there was an increase in LDH level, and this attributable to anaerobic glycolysis in cancer cells.