Radical oncologic surgery affects the circulatory levels of interleukin 10.
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.
Gianotti
L
L
Department of Surgery, San Raffaele Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
Fortis
C
C
Braga
M
M
Gentilini
O
O
Vignali
A
A
Di Carlo
V
V
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
D016753:Interleukin-10