Stage-dependent alterations of the serum cytokine pattern in colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

Background:Inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC), and cytokine levels are altered during colorectal carcinogenesis.Methods:The serum levels of 13 cytokines and their relation to clinical and pathological parameters, and systemic inflammatory response (mGPS, CRP and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio), were analysed from a prospective series of 148 CRC patients and 86 healthy age- and sex-matched controls.Results:CRC patients had higher serum platelet-derived growth factor, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, and IL-8 levels and lower monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) levels than the controls. A logistic regression model for discriminating the patients from the controls – including the five most predictive cytokines (high IL-8, high IL-6, low MCP-1, low IL-1ra, and low IP-10) – yielded an area under curve value of 0.890 in receiver operating characteristics analysis. Serum cytokines showed distinct correlation with other markers of systemic inflammatory response, and advanced CRCs were associated with higher levels of IL-8, IL-1ra, and IL-6. A metastasised disease was accompanied by an orientation towards Th2 cytokine milieu.Conclusion:CRC is associated with extensive alterations in serum cytokine environment, highlighting the importance of studying relative cytokine level alterations. Serum cytokine profile shows promise in separating CRC patients from healthy controls but its clinical value is yet to be confirmed.

Prognostic value of preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is superior to platelet-lymphocyte ratio for survival in patients who underwent complete resection of thymic carcinoma

“…These inflammatory cytokines may establish and keep a tumor microenvironment favoring aggressive tumor behavior. An elevated NLR is considered to be associated with elevated circulating concentrations of these cytokines, which offers an insight into mechanisms underlying an elevated NLR (30,31). Nevertheless, the cutoff points of NLR proposed in previous studies differ, including NLR thresholds of 2.3, 4.02 or 5 in gastric cancer (14,32,33), 0.38, 2.4 or 3 in colorectal cancer (15,34,35), 2.3 or 2.5 in NSCLC (10,36), and consensus has not been established.…”

Signal Transduction and Activator of Transcription-3 (STAT3) in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: Associations with the Phenotypic Features of the Tumor and Host

“…Circulating IL-6 is commonly elevated in a number of cancers, including colorectal cancer (11)(12)(13), and is the predominant stimulus for the hepatic synthesis of acute phase proteins, including CRP (6). Cancer-associated fibroblasts and inflammatory cells contribute to high levels of IL-6 within the tumour microenvironment (14,15), with subsequent tumour cell activation of the soluble IL-6 receptor/ glycoprotein 130 complex (16).…”

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in diagnosing acute cholecystitis: a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary rural hospital

“…The underlying molecular basis of NLR has found that there is an elevation in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12) in the plasma of these patients. [11][12][13] Moreover, high peritumoral infiltration of macrophages was observed in cancer patients with elevated NLR. 12 Therefore, elevated NLR appears to be a good indicator of up-regulation of the innate immune response.…”