Impact of Serum Levels of IL-18 and Soluble IL-2 Receptor on the Clinical Outcome of Patients With Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Treated with R-CHOP Regimen

Abstract

Aim & methods: To assess the impact of pretreatment serum levels of IL-18 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) on the clinical outcome of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with an R-CHOP protocol. Total 73 patients were included. Results: Elevated serum IL-18 (using mean as cutoff) was associated with numerically lower complete remission, and 3-year disease-free survival rates; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the 3-year overall survival rates were significantly more favorable for the lower serum level group. Correspondingly, the complete remission, 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates for patients with low pretreatment sIL-2R levels were significantly better than individuals with higher levels. Conclusion: There is a growing body of evidence supporting the utility of pretreatment serum levels of sIL-2R and IL-18 as prognostic factors in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients.

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“…Several studies assessed IL-18 mRNA and protein expression in lymphoma patients either in serum or the affected tissues. For DLBCL, increased serum IL-18 was correlated with lower CR rates after treatment and decreased OS and DFS [83][84][85], while higher IL-18 tissue expression was characteristic of the more aggressive non-GCB DLBCL subtype [86]. In patients with SS-associated MALT lymphomas, increased IL-18 mRNA levels in affected SGs were documented compared to SS patients without lymphoma, with higher IL-18 also correlating with the presence of GC-like structures [89].…”

“…The impact of pretreatment IL-18 serum levels on the outcome of DLBCL patients receiving Rituximab-CHOP was investigated by Khaled et al The authors reported that CR and 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were lower for patients with increased IL-18 serum levels, though the difference was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the 3-year OS rates were significantly more favorable for the group with a lower IL-18 serum level [85]. Using tissue microarrays, Lu et al highlighted that higher IL-18 expression was detected in DLBCLs with non-germinal center B cell-like (GCB) phenotype compared to those with GCB phenotype [86].…”