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Table 2 Kyn, Trp and Kyn/Trp ratio according to patient and tumor characteristics

From: Tryptophan catabolism increases in breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls without affecting the cancer outcome or response to chemotherapy

Comparison group

Kyn (μM/L)

Trp (μM/L)

Kyn/Trp ratio

Median ± SD

P value

Median ± SD

P value

Median ± SD

P value

Healthy vs. cancer

 Healthy

1.951 ± 0.708

< 0.0001***

48.80 ± 14.16

0.001**

0.042 ± 0.019

0.026*

 Cancer

1.770 ± 0.537

44.56 ± 10.83

0.038 ± 0.013

Age (years)

 < 54.5

1.738 ± 0.609

< 0.0001***

45.68 ± 11.23

0.978

0.036 ± 0.015

0.0001***

 ≥ 54.5

1.980 ± 0.643

46.63 ± 13.78

0.043 ± 0.016

Histology

 Ductal

1.810 ± 0.550

0.077

44.51 ± 10.65

0.051

0.038 ± 0.014

0.005**

 Lobular

1.550 ± 0.451

48.60 ± 11.54

0.033 ± 0.009

 Other

1.543 ± 0.289

38.00 ± 10.92

0.038 ± 0.008

Subtype

 Luminal A

1.770 ± 0.570

0.324

47.73 ± 12.48

0.213

0.038 ± 0.014

0.100

 Luminal B

1.800 ± 0.458

44.57 ± 10.27

0.038 ± 0.011

 HER2-enriched

1.853 ± 0.881

40.42 ± 6.85

0.047 ± 0.023

 TNBC

1.707 ± 0.442

44.13 ± 9.90

0.038 ± 0.012

Estrogen receptor expression

 ER-positive

1.800 ± 0.510

0.897

45.47 ± 11.26

0.016*

0.0377 ± 0.012

0.040*

 ER-negative

1.757 ± 0.606

42.00 ± 8.88

0.042 ± 0.016

Progesterone receptor expression

 PgR-positive

1.775 ± 0.480

0.890

44.93 ± 11.64

0.041*

0.038 ± 0.012

0.048*

 PgR-negative

1.760 ± 0.633

43.73 ± 8.59

0.041 ± 0.016

HER2 amplification

 HER2-positive

1.797 ± 0.643

0.364

43.66 ± 10.16

0.313

0.039 ± 0.017

0.100

 HER2-negative

1.766 ± 0.489

44.93 ± 11.09

 

0.038 ± 0.012

Ki67% expression

 Ki67 < 20%

1.757 ± 0.577

0.968

47.17 ± 1.02

0.240

0.038 ± 0.014

0.328

 Ki67 ≥ 20%

1.800 ± 0.518

43.93 ± 10.06

0.038 ± 0.013

TNM stage

 Stage I

1.652 ± 0.555

0.668

47.30 ± 12.75

0.035*

0.037 ± 0.011

0.143

 Stage II

1.807 ± 0.489

45.47 ± 10.18

0.038 ± 0.014

 Stage III

1.697 ± 0.631

40.60 ± 9.90

0.042 ± 0.015

T stage

 T1

1.800 ± 0.538

0.935

48.58 ± 12.36

0.024*

0.037 ± 0.011

0.352

 T2

1.757 ± 0.516

44.47 ± 8.28

0.038 ± 0.014

 T3

1.677 ± 0.642

40.60 ± 12.31

0.039 ± 0.016

 T4

1.807 ± 0.550

41.23 ± 11.45

0.043 ± 0.015

N stage

 N0

1.677 ± 0.515

0.736

44.67 ± 11.91

0.492

0.037 ± 0.013

0.538

 N1

1.813 ± 0.503

44.90 ± 9.95

0.039 ± 0.013

 N2

1.705 ± 0.641

44.20 ± 7.63

0.044 ± 0.012

 N3

1.651 ± 1.106

39.5 ± 8.60

0.044 ± 0.022

Scarf–Bloom–Richardson grade

 G1

1.520 ± 0.522

0.143

40.60 ± 8.33

0.843

0.034 ± 0.005

0.026*

 G2

1.670 ± 0.605

44.40 ± 11.61

0.036 ± 0.015

 G3

1.840 ± 0.450

44.57 ± 10.20

0.038 ± 0.011

Lymphovascular invasion

 Yes

1.820 ± 0.657

0.286

45.47 ± 8.73

0.694

0.039 ± 0.014

0.272

 No

1.728 ± 0.500

44.35 ± 11.33

0.038 ± 0.013

Pathological complete response to NAC

 Yes

1.813 ± 0.470

0.039*

44.43 ± 11.72

0.292

0.039 ± 0.012

0.367

 No

1.650 ± 0.589

42.00 ± 8.90

0.038 ± 0.016

Relapse

 Yes

1.783 ± 0.627

0.772

45.02 ± 6.46

0.987

0.039 ± 0.014

0.889

 No

1.771 ± 0.524

44.35 ± 11.39

0.038 ± 0.014

  1. The corresponding p values for patients showing or not a pCR and for patients with or without relapse are reported in the table. A significance level of 0.05 is accepted (in italics)
  2. Median value of Kyn, Trp and Kyn/Trp ratio according to patient and tumor characteristics, to response to chemotherapy and relapse. The p value was calculated as the mean of the Mann–Whitney U test for two variables or the Kruskal–Wallis test for three or more variables
  3. Kyn kynurenine, Trp tryptophan, SD standard deviation, TNBC triple-negative breast cancer, ER estrogen receptor, NAC neoadjuvant chemotherapy