title: Interleukin-6 and acute-phase proteins in head and neck cancer.
abstract: The acute-phase response is the answer of the organism to a disturbance of its homeostasis and is characterized by dramatic changes in the concentration of some plasma proteins defined as acute-phase proteins. In recent years several data have shown that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is the major inducer of acute-phase protein synthesis in human hepatocytes. Recently, we demonstrated higher IL-6 serum levels in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients than in healthy subjects. In the present study we examined the relationship between levels of IL-6 and of several acute-phase proteins, including C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha 1-antitrypsin (ATT), alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), haptoglobin (HPT) and fibrinogen. Eighteen patients were studied and had squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx (n = 9), oral cavity (n = 4), oropharynx (n = 3) and hypopharynx (n = 2). Proteins were measured at three time points before and three time points after surgery. Significant (P < 0.0001) relationships were found between IL-6 and CRP (r = 0.69), and fibrinogen (r = 0.51), whereas no correlation was found with AAT (r = 0.13, P = 0.56), AAG (r = 0.38; P = 0.07) and HPT (r = 0.16; P = 0.46). These data strongly suggest that IL-6 may play a key role in acute-phase protein synthesis in HNC and in regulation of the complex host response to malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attanasio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giusti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallina
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000032:analysis; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D006242:Haptoglobins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009961:Orosomucoid; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein