BOMBESIN PLASMA-LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN AND MALIGNANT BREAST DISEASE

Some reports suggest a role for bombesin-like peptides in the patholog y of breast tumors. Bombesin and related gastrin-releasing peptides ha ve been shown to influence the inositol phospholipid signalling pathwa y and stimulate growth of some cells, including some human breast canc er cell lines. We measured the plasma concentration of bombesin in 23 breast cancer patients, 32 patients suffering from benign breast disea se and in 21 healthy controls. The bombesin concentration in plasma ta ken from the thoracodorsal vein, in the vicinity of the tumor in breas t cancer patients was higher than that in the peripheral circulation ( mean +/- SEM, 91.3 +/- 54.3 vs. 40.9 +/- 27.4 pg/ml; p < 0.05). Bombes in concentrations in the cubital vein in breast cancer patients and in those with benign breast disease (61.7 +/- 49.3 pg/ml) was significan tly higher than that in the control group (23.7 +/- 5.06 pg/ml; p < 0. 05). Our findings suggest storage or synthesis of bombesin-like peptid es within the affected breast and may confirm the role of these peptid es in the growth of breast tumors.