Behaviour of interleukin-2 serum levels in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients: relationship with response to therapy and survival

Abstract

Interleukin(IL)-2 is a T helper (Th) 1 type cytokine that has been shown to play an important role in antitumour immune responses. In this study, the prognostic significance of serum IL-2 levels was investigated in 60 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. IL-2 serum levels were determined before chemotherapy, at the end of chemotherapy and during follow-up, using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay kit. The results were analysed according to the response to therapy and were used to generate a model predicting overall survival and time to treatment failure. All 60 patients were shown to have higher IL-2 serum levels than controls (P < 0.0001). Stage IV patients had significantly lower IL-2 levels than stage III patients (P < 0.0001), although they were still significantly higher than controls (P < 0.0001). It is interesting that, when patients were divided into responders and non-responders according to the response to therapy, the former were shown to have significantly higher pre-chemotherapy levels than the latter (P < 0.0001). Moreover, a further significant increase in IL-2 serum levels (P = 0.004) and a significant decrease (P < 0.0001) were shown in responders and non-responders, respectively at the end of the therapy. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, both overall survival and time to treatment failure were shown to be affected by the mean pathological levels of IL-2. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of the serum level of IL-2 was confirmed by the stepwise regression analysis. In conclusion, determination of pre-treatment IL-2 serum levels was shown to be of independent prognostic utility in patients with advanced NSCLC; therefore, its possible use for prediction of outcome is proposed.

Prognostic Role of Serum Cytokines in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

“…[21]showedthathighexpressionofserum CCL2 and TNF-a could predict bone invasion and poor OS inNPCpatients. Inthisstudy,wefoundthatIL-2playedaprotectiverolein NPC.ThepatientswithhighIL-2hadalongersurvivaltime thanthosewithlowIL-2.Thisobservationisconsistentwith previous studies in other cancer types [22,23]. IL-2 is a secreted cytokine that increases the growth and activity of T and B lymphocytes, and affects the development of the immunesystem,playinganessentialroleinantitumorimmunity [24].…”

Effects of triterpene saponins from Astragalus species on in vitro cytokine release

“…After 7 weeks of treatment of an elderly patient with lung carcinoma, tumor marker levels (CEA and CA 19-9) decreased, the patient's cough disappeared and her appetite recovered (Orditura et al, 2000).…”

Elevated Serum Levels of Interleukin-8 in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: Relationship with Prognosis

“…The prognostic factors considered were sex, age, stage, grading, performance status (PS) according to ECOG scale, histology, and basal IL-8 serum levels. Finally, data on basal IL-10 and IL-2 serum levels from previous studies on the same samples (10,11) were included as well.…”