Serum interleukin-6 levels in uterine malignancies. Preliminary data.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured with an enzyme-immunoassay in blood samples drawn at diagnosis from 37 patients with endometrial cancer, 36 with cervical cancer, 9 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 68 with benign uterine disease. The minimal detectable dose of IL-6 was 3 pg/mL. Detectable serum IL-6 levels were found in 9% of patients with benign uterine diseases, 11% of patients with CIN, 44% of patients with cervical cancer and 11% of patients with endometrial cancer. As regards cervical cancer, serum IL-6 levels > 3 pg/mL were found in 36.0% of 25 patients with stage Ib-IIa disease and in 64% of 11 patients with stage IIb-IV disease. As regards endometrial cancer, serum detectable IL-6 levels were observed in 0% of 30 patients with stage I-II disease and in 57% of 7 patients with stage III-IV disease (p = 0.0005). These preliminary data suggest that IL-6 may be involved in the progression of uterine malignancies.
Istituto di Medicina Nucleare, Università di Pisa, Italy.
M
M
Ferdeghini
A
A
Gadducci
C
C
Prontera
A
A
Bonuccelli
C
C
Annicchiarico
A
A
Fanucchi
V
V
Facchini
R
R
Bianchi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
D015850:Interleukin-6