title: Serum interleukin-10 but not interleukin-6 is related to clinical outcome in patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical significance of preoperative serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  IL-10 is an immunosuppressive factor and IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a role in host defense mechanisms. Both have been reported to be related to the disease prognosis in some human solid tumors. Their role in human HCC has not been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative serum samples of 67 patients with HCC who underwent potentially curative resection and 27 normal healthy donors were assayed. Levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical significance of serum IL-10 and IL-6 was evaluated and compared with conventional clinicopathologic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with HCC than in healthy subjects. There was no correlation between IL-10 and IL-6 levels. Tumor resection resulted in a decrease in IL-10 and IL-6 levels. On univariate analysis, patients with high IL-10 levels had a worse disease-free survival, but IL-6 levels had no correlation with the disease-free survival. Multivariate analysis identified IL-10 levels as a predictor of postresectional outcome, in addition to the well-established clinical risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with HCC, the preoperative serum IL-10 level is related to the clinical outcome. IL-10 may play an important role in the progression of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: G Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Loong
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016753:Interleukin-10