Cytokines in gynecological cancer.
BACKGROUND
Cytokines are considered as part of host defence to infection or injury.


METHODS
Pretreatment values of TNF and sIL-2R were measured in 132 women with a) ovarian carcinoma (n = 25), b) breast cancer (n = 20), c) endometrial cancer (n = 15), d) cervical squamous cell carcinoma (n = 19), e) cervical adenocarcinoma (n = 11) and f) benign gynecological diseases (n = 42) in order to evaluate whether these cytokines could be useful in the discrimination of malignant from benign gynecological diseases.


RESULTS
Both TNF and sIL-2R were significantly higher in all cancer groups together (mean +/- SD: 30 +/- 11 pg/mL and 1293 +/- 465 U/mL respectively), than those in the benign group (16.0 +/- 6 pg/mL and 626 +/- 233 U/mL, respectively; p < 0.0001), while no significant differences were found for TNF and sIL-2R values in the five cancer groups. Significantly higher cytokine values were measured in the advanced stage diseases (33 +/- 11 pg/mL and 1705 +/- 192 U/mL), than those in the limited cancer (26 +/- 12 pg/mL, p < 0.05 and 916(521 U/mL, p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that, cytokines may be useful in the discrimination of malignant from benign gynecological diseases and in monitoring tumor activity in patients early in the malignancy process.
Sarandakou
A
A
2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Athens University, Areteion University Hospital, Greece.
Phocas
I
I
Sikiotis
K
K
Rizos
D
D
Botsis
D
D
Kalambokis
K
K
Trakakis
E
E
Chryssikopoulos
A
A
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha