Circulating Phytosterols in Normal Females, Lactating Mothers and Breast Cancer Patients

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Plasma and tissue phytosterols were measured in 11 normal females, 7 lactating mothers and 14 patients with breast cancer. No significant differences in the mean plasma concentration of campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were observed among the 3 patient groups. Stigmasteryl acetate was not detected in any plasma or tissue. Breast cancer, normal breast and nonmammary adipose tissues were found to contain comparable amounts of phytosterols. Three hypercalcemic breast cancer patients had plasma phytosterol concentrations similar to eucalcemic individuals. The phytosterol levels of one breast cancer patient were noted to decrease during a hypercalcemic period characterized by anorexia. Extirpation of the cancer tissue in another patient resulted in no change in circulating phytosterol levels. In all groups, the mean plasma phytosterol concentrations reflected the relative predominance of these sterols in common foods. The data suggest that plasma phytosterol accumulation is not characteristic of the lactating mother or the breast cancer patient, and that plant sterols are not instrumental to the hypercalcemia observed in patients with breast cancer.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: