Background: Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ responsible for the production of adipokines. Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether serum levels of four adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, visfatin) and lipid parameters (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol) are affected by adjuvant chemotherapy. Methodology: Twenty-five Greek patients who had been operated and received adjuvant chemotherapy with a good response were included. Blood samples were collected at three distinct time points during treatment, in order to mesure the above parameters. Results: Cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels did not show statistically significant differences at the three time points. In contrast, triglycerides were statistically significant higher (p=0.0030) at the final time point. Serum leptin and resistin levels prior to treatment were significantly higher (p<0.0001) than those observed during mid- and end-treatment. Comparison between the mid- and end- treatment time points showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.0001), with higher levels observed at the mid-treatment time point. Serum adiponectin lev-els yielded a significant difference (lower value) between the baseline and the end time points (p<0.0001), as well as across the other time points. Visfatin levels were significantly higher at the baseline of the treatment compared to both mid- and end-treatment levels (both p<0.0001). Conclusion: Increased levels of adiponectin, together with decreased values of the other three adipokines, are consistent with the results from previous studies, suggesting their potential use as auxiliary parameters. Regarding lipids, only levels of triglycerides provide relevant information. However, due to the absence of a control group and the small sample size (n=25), these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory.

breast cancer, adipokines, lipids, adjuvant chemotherapy, longitudinal study