Background : The pathogenesis of breast cancer remains unclear. Aims : To investigate the pathogenesis of breast cancer through targeted metabolomics of amino acids components in serum of patients with breast cancer. Methods : Patients with breast cancers were enrolled in our hospital between year January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2014. Targeted analysis of amino acids was performed using ESI-QTOF-MS instrument. In vitro experiment was performed to determine the influence of tryptophan towards interleukin-10 (IL-10) secretion by CD4>+ T cell. Results: Targeted metabolomics of amino acids showed that the level of tryptophan significantly (p<0.05) increased in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, the biological function of tryptophan was determined through determining the influence of tryptophan towards IL-10 secretion using in vitro method. The addition of tryptophan (100 uM) in the cell medium can significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+ T cells, as indicated by the mRNA level and protein concentration. Conclusion : The inhibition of IL-10 secretion by CD4+ T cells is a potential pathogenesis of breast cancer.

Keywords : breast cancer, interleukin-10 (IL-10), pathogenesis, T cell