The Impact of Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Levels on Thromboembolic Events at Patients with Advanced Stage Adenocarcinoma

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Several studies have shown that increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) with hormonal con- traceptives is mediated through the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) through different pathways. Assuming SHBG as surrogate marker for hormonal stimulus as an increasing risk factor for VTE, we in- vestigated if background SHBG has any impact on VTE in patient with advanced stage adenocarcinoma. Blood drawn from patients with VTE (n=45) and from patients without VTE (non-VTE; n=23), as a con- trol group without a history of VTE, and SHBG levels were compared between groups. There was no differ- ence in SHBG levels between VTE (59.7±41.5) and non-VTE (60±49) (p=0.71) group, but gastric cancer patients had statistically higher SHBG levels (73.7±39.9; range from 36.6 to 176.2 ) than rest of the cohort (56.54±44.4; range from 9.6 to 246.6) (p=0.033), although it was out of scope of this study. Although our study did not show any impact of SHBG levels on risk of VTE at patients with advanced stage adenocarci- noma, it revealed high levels of SHBG at gastric cancer patients which deserve further research. METHODS Blood drawn from patients with VTE (n=45) and from patients without VTE (non-VTE; n=23), as a control group without a history of VTE, and SHBG levels were compared between groups. RESULTS There was no difference in SHBG levels between VTE (59.7±41.5) and non-VTE (60±49) (p=0.71) group, but gastric cancer patients had statistically higher SHBG levels (73.7±39.9; range from 36.6 to 176.2 ) than rest of the cohort (56.54±44.4; range from 9.6 to 246.6) (p=0.033), although it was out of scope of this study. CONCLUSION Although our study did not show any impact of SHBG levels on risk of VTE at patients with advanced stage adenocarcinoma, it revealed high levels of SHBG at gastric cancer patients which deserve fur- ther research.