Determination of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Malondialdehyde in Breast Cancer Patients from Kirkuk

Document Type : Original Article

Author

College of Pharmacy, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq

Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women and a leading cause of cancer related death worldwide, and in Iraq it accounts for nearly one third of female cancer cases. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to its development. In this study, you evaluate serum levels of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and malondialdehyde in 48 breast cancer patients aged 25 to 64 years and compare them with 47 healthy individuals of similar age. You collect samples in Kirkuk between November 2025 and February 2026. You measure IL 6 and TNF alpha using ELISA, while you determine MDA using the TBARS method, then analyze the data with Student’s t test in SPSS. The results show that IL 6 reaches 12.47 ± 3.82 pg/mL in patients compared to 4.21 ± 1.35 pg/mL in controls, and TNF alpha reaches 8.93 ± 2.47 pg/mL in patients versus 3.15 ± 1.02 pg/mL in controls, with significant differences for both markers. MDA also increases to 3.85 ± 0.94 µmol/L in patients compared to 1.42 ± 0.38 µmol/L in controls, showing a highly significant difference. When you examine age groups, you find that patients aged 45 to 64 years show the highest values for all markers, with clear statistical differences across age categories, especially for MDA. These findings indicate increased inflammation and oxidative stress in breast cancer patients, and they support the use of these markers in detection, monitoring, and risk assessment, especially in older patients.

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Volume 12, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 46-63

  • Receive Date 30 April 2026
  • Revise Date 18 May 2026
  • Accept Date 20 May 2026
  • First Publish Date 25 June 2026
  • Publish Date 01 July 2026