Evaluation of Serum STARD3 Levels in Patients With Breast and Prostate Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

Abstract

Objective: Cancer cells exhibit high metabolic demands and rely heavily on lipid metabolism for proliferation and membrane synthesis. Lipid transfer proteins, particularly the steroidogenic acute regulatory-related lipid transfer domain 3 (STARD3), play a significant role in intracellular cholesterol transport and may influence cancer progression. The aim of this study was to investigate serum STARD3 levels in patients with breast and prostate cancer and compare them with healthy controls, along with lipid parameters.

Materials and methods: Patients with breast cancer (women) and prostate cancer (men) were recruited together with a control group matched by age-range and sex. Serum samples were collected, and STARD3 levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Lipid parameters and tumor markers (carbohydrate antigen 15-3, prostate-specific antigen) were also evaluated.

Results: A total of 200 individuals were enrolled: 50 female breast cancer patients, 50 male prostate cancer patients, and 100 healthy controls. STARD3 levels were significantly lower in both breast cancer (p = 0.045) and prostate cancer (p<0.001) groups compared to controls. However, no significant correlation was found between STARD3 levels and other biochemical parameters or tumor stage in either cancer group.

Conclusion: The results suggest that STARD3 may play a role in the pathogenesis of both hormone-related cancers, although the mechanism remains unclear. Given the limited studies evaluating STARD3 in both breast and prostate cancers simultaneously, our findings contribute novel data to the literature and may guide future research into the diagnostic or prognostic potential of STARD3 in oncology.