ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Context. Oxytocin (OXT) supports social affiliation and affect regulation; in late pregnancy, variability in plasma OXT may index the psychosocial context relevant to perinatal risk. Objectives. To test (i) differences in plasma OXT by adult attachment (AAS/R-AAS); (ii) associations with pregnancy planning, partner support, maternal perception, and history of emotional difficulties; and (iii) psychosocial factors independently associated with OXT. Design. Cross-sectional study. Subjects and Methods. Thirty-five women at 28– 39 weeks’ gestation (subsample of 140) provided morning EDTA plasma (08:00–10:00), stored at -80 ¯C. OXT was quantified by ELISA without solid-phase extraction or technical duplicates. Analyses comprised one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni tests, non-parametric contrasts (Mann– Whitney/Kruskal–Wallis with Holm adjustment), and HC3- robust multiple regression (α=0.05). Results. OXT differed by attachment (secure > avoidant > anxious–ambivalent; F(2,32)=31.115, p<0.001, ηp²=0.660). Univariate contrasts indicated higher OXT with planned pregnancy, partner support, positive (vs negative) maternal perception, and with a history of emotional difficulties; in the multivariable model (R²=0.718; adjusted R²=0.617), only attachment independently predicted OXT (avoidant vs secure B=-227.7 pg/mL; anxious–ambivalent vs secure B=-289.4 pg/mL). Conclusions. In late pregnancy, plasma OXT co-varies with adult attachment and, at group level, with proximal psychosocial factors; after adjustment, attachment remains the dominant predictor. Psychosocial screening is clinically actionable, whereas OXT measurement should remain a research tool.

Increased body mass index (BMI) is considered a risk factor for breast cancer. Moreover, it is associated with an unfavorable prognosis of the disease. Overweight and obesity are a global public health problem. Objective. We aimed to describe the risk factor of high BMI in breast cancer patients through an observational study of patients diagnosed with mammary neoplasm. Patients and Methods. The study was performed on a sample of 172 women with breast cancer with a mean age of 58.8 (±SD) years and a control sample of 217 women without breast cancer with a mean age of 54 (±SD) years. Data collection was performed by questionnaires and by anthropometric measurements, during 2017-2021. Statistical analysis used numerical descriptive methods: mean, standard deviation, etc. and graphical methods. Results. The sample of women with breast cancer compared to the control sample showed differences in BMI (26.27 vs. 24.45 kg/m2), p=0.001. Conclusion. Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer. This risk factor for breast cancer could be altered by the quality of the diet and by the adoption of an active lifestyle.