Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40694191›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2025

Higher pre-diagnostic serum syndecan-4 levels are associated with increased breast cancer risk: a case-cohort study.

Endre Gabrielsen, Tom Wilsgaard, Hanne Frydenberg, Trygve Lofterød, Stig Manfred Dalen, Elin Mortensen, Marit D Solbu, Hawa Nalwoga, Lars A Akslen, Egil S Blix and 1 more

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Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Endre GabrielsenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway. endre.gabrielsen@unn.no.
Tom WilsgaardDepartment of Community Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Hanne FrydenbergDepartment of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Trygve LofterødDepartment of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Stig Manfred DalenDepartment of Pathology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Elin MortensenDepartment of Pathology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Marit D SolbuDepartment of Clinical Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
Hawa NalwogaCentre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Lars A AkslenCentre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Egil S Blix *Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
Hege S Haugnes *Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.

Funding

The Northern Norway Regional Health Authority HNF1529-20
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSyndecans are transmembrane proteins involved in inflammation and signaling pathways. Their potential role as pre-diagnostic biomarkers for breast cancer risk remains unexplored. This study aimed to investigate whether pre-diagnostic serum syndecan levels are associated with breast cancer risk in a population-based cohort.

methodsWe conducted a case-cohort study nested within the Tromsø Study (Norway), including women who participated in the fifth survey (2001). Women with incident breast cancer (cases, n = 158) through 2022 were identified, with a random sub-cohort of 708 women. Serum levels of syndecan-1 (SDC1) and syndecan-4 (SDC4) were measured using ELISA on frozen serum samples obtained in 2001. All participants were stratified into quartiles (Q1-Q4) based on pre-diagnostic levels. Cox proportional hazards regression models assessed associations between serum syndecan levels and breast cancer risk.

resultsThe median age at diagnosis was 69 years for cases, and 83.3% of tumors were hormone receptor-positive (HR +). Women with higher serum SDC4 (Q2-Q4) levels had approximately a twofold increased risk of breast cancer compared to women in Q1. We observed a nearly threefold increased risk for the HR + subtype. In postmenopausal women, HRs for HR + breast cancer in Q2, Q3, and Q4 were 3.81 (95% CI: 1.57-9.23), 3.43 (95% CI: 1.41-8.40), and 3.54 (95% CI: 1.45-8.65), respectively, all relative to Q1 of SDC4. No associations were observed between SDC1 levels and breast cancer risk.

conclusionsOur results suggest that SDC4 may play a role in the initiation and early progression of breast cancer.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsSyndecan-4AdultAgedCase-Control StudiesCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNorwayRisk FactorsSyndecan-1Biomarkers, TumorSDC1 protein, humanSDC4 protein, humanSyndecan-1Syndecan-4Breast cancerCase-cohort studyHormone receptor-positiveRisk factorsSyndecan 1Syndecan 4

Identifiers

PMID40694191
PMCPMC12397127

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.