title: Radical oncologic surgery affects the circulatory levels of interleukin 10.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interleukin 10 (IL-10) has been shown to be elevated in the plasma of cancer-bearing patients. The source of systemic IL-10 may be the tumor microenvironment. We therefore tried to evaluate if ablative surgery for gastrointestinal cancer could affect the levels of circulating IL-10.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma IL-10 concentration was measured in 45 patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Forty healthy subjects, 15 women undergoing hysterectomy for uterine fibroma, and 15 patients undergoing palliative operation for pancreatic cancer were used as control groups. Plasma IL-10 was assessed 1 day before surgery (baseline) and 1, 4, and 8 days after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline concentration of IL-10 was significantly higher in cancer patients than in healthy subjects and in women with fibroma (8.6 ng/mL, 2.1 and 1.8 respectively; P = 0.015). After radical surgery, the IL-10 levels significantly dropped in cancer patients (from 8.6 ng/mL to 3.8; P = 0.024), whereas in subjects undergoing palliative operation, the concentration remained elevated (8.5 ng/mL baseline versus 7.9 on day + 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The origin of circulating IL-10 may be the tumor microenvironment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, San Raffaele Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gianotti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fortis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gentilini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vignali
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D003082:Colectomy; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10