Serum interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 levels as a tumor marker in patients with esophageal carcinoma

Tsuboi, Kaori; Miyazaki, Tatsuya; Nakajima, Masanobu; Fukai, Yasuyuki; Masuda, Norihiro; Manda, Ryokuhei; Fukuchi, Minoru; Kato, Hiroyuki; Kuwano, Hiroyuki

doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2003.10.010

« Previous Next »Cancer Letters
Volume 205, Issue 2 , Pages 207-214, 18 March 2004

Serum interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 levels as a tumor marker in patients with esophageal carcinoma

Department of Surgery I, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma University, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan

Received 28 July 2003; received in revised form 24 September 2003; accepted 2 October 2003.

Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 participate in tumor immunology. Serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels were determined in patients with esophageal carcinoma, and the relationship between clinicopathologic factors and prognosis was investigated. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 15 healthy volunteers and from 70 patients with esophageal carcinoma before curative surgery. IL-12 and IL-18 levels were determined in each serum sample by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mean serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with esophageal carcinoma compared with healthy volunteers (P<0.05) and mean serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels increased in patients as the pathologic stage progressed. A positive correlation was observed between serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels (P<0.01). In patients with esophageal carcinoma, increasing serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels correlated with tumor growth and progression. The function of these two interleukin in the host immune response remains unclear. However, this part of the host immune response did not appear to contribute to the postoperative prognosis. Serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels might correlate with a certain depth of invasion and might be useful tumor markers in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Keywords: Interleukin-12, Interleukin-18, Esophageal carcinoma, Tumor activity