Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor level as a prognostic indicator in gastric cancer.
T lymphocytes, activated by interleukin 2 during an anti-tumour response, release soluble interleukin 2 receptors (sIL-2R) into the bloodstream. We analysed the prognostic value of the serum sIL-2R level in gastric cancer. Serum concentration of sIL-2R in 96 gastric cancer patients and 100 healthy control subjects' was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All survivors were followed for more than 50 months. Serum sIL-2R level was considered with respect to prognosis, clinicopathological factors, other tumour markers and peripheral blood cell count. Stage III and IV patients had significantly higher sIL-2R levels than lower stage patients and control subjects. Stage III and IV gastric cancer patients were divided into 'high' and 'low' slL-2R groups based upon the control subjects' serum sIL-2R mean value plus one standard deviation. The high group had a significantly worse prognosis than the low group, although clinicopathological features and treatments were similar. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the serum sIL-2R level is an independent indicator. The sIL-2R level did not correlate with carbohydrate antigen 19-9, however it did correlate with carcinoembryonic antigen (r = 0.22) and with numbers of peripheral blood monocytes (r = 0.54). In conclusion, serum sIL-2R may predict the outcome of gastric cancer patients with stage III or IV disease.
First Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
B
B
Nakata
K H
KH
Chung
Y
Y
Kato
Y
Y
Yamashita
A
A
Inui
Y
Y
Arimoto
K
K
Maeda
N
N
Onoda
T
T
Sawada
M
M
Sowa
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2