Table 1.
Correlation of serum POSTN levels and clinicopathological characteristics of participants
| Characteristics | Number (%) | POSTN(ng/mL) Mean ± SD | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health controls | |||
| Age (median) | 52.1 | ||
| > 60 | 24 (34.8) | 11.18 ± 5.51 | |
| ≤ 60 | 45 (65.2) | 12.29 ± 11.83 | 0.30a |
| Menopausal status | |||
| Yes | 43 (62.3) | 11.79 ± 9.48 | |
| No | 26 (37.7) | 11.21 ± 5.64 | 0.63a |
| Family history | |||
| Yes | 2 (2.9) | 11.57 ± 8.31 | |
| No | 67 (97.1) | 11.34 ± 3.65 | - |
| Body mass index (BMI) | |||
| < 24 | 42 (60.9) | 11.31 ± 9.62 | |
| ≥ 24 | 27 (39.1) | 11.97 ± 5.44 | 0.18a |
| Breast cancer | |||
| Age (median) | 50.6 | ||
| > 60 | 50 (28.9) | 25.91 ± 16.52 | |
| ≤ 60 | 123 (71.1) | 31.18 ± 39.83 | 0.39a |
| Menopausal status | |||
| Yes | 109 (63.0) | 29.27 ± 30.35 | |
| No | 64 (37.0) | 30.31 ± 41.47 | 0.11a |
| Family history | |||
| Yes | 12 (6.9) | 25.30 ± 11.50 | |
| No | 161 (93.1) | 29.98 ± 35.90 | 0.42a |
| Body mass index (BMI) | |||
| < 24 | 109 (63.0) | 23.04 ± 20.88 | |
| ≥ 24 | 64 (37.0) | 40.93 ± 48.44 | 0.017a |
| TNM stage | |||
| Locoregional BCa (I—IIIA) | 115 (66.5) | 20.03 ± 18.15 | |
| Distant BCa IV (IIIB—IV) | 58 (33.5) | 48.73 ± 49.30 | < 0.0001a |
| Lymph node metastasis | |||
| Yes | 94 (54.3) | 36.83 ± 41.78 | |
| No | 79 (45.7) | 21.12 ± 21.17 | 0.0002a |
| Distant metastasis | |||
| Yes | 36 (20.8) | 56.33 ± 54.48 | |
| No | 137 (79.2) | 22.65 ± 22.95 | < 0.0001a |
| Metastasis site | |||
| Multiple sites | 17 (47.2)c | 66.90 ± 61.64 | |
| Single site | 19 (52.8)c | 46.88 ± 46.85 | 0.24a |
| Bone | 10 (27.8)c | 47.76 ± 58.02 | |
| Lung | 5 (13.9)c | 64.69 ± 35.28 | |
| Liver | 3 (8.3)c | 26.53 ± 8.51 | |
| Brain | 1 (2.8)c | 10.97 | |
| Molecular subtype | |||
| Luminal A | 66 (38.2) | 30.92 ± 34.17 | |
| Luminal B | 60 (34.7) | 26.75 ± 27.03 | |
| Her2-enriched | 18 (10.4) | 37.94 ± 52.33 | |
| Triple negative | 29 (16.7) | 27.64 ± 37.97 | 0.81b |
a Mann–Whitney U test. b Kruskal–Wallis test. c Proportion in cases with distant metastasis