Reduction in serum IL-6 after vacination of breast cancer patients with tumour-associated antigens is related to estrogen receptor status.
Elevated serum IL-6 concentrations have been associated with poor prognosis in a variety of cancers, and decreases in serum IL-6 concentrations have been reported after chemotherapy. We have demonstrated that serum IL-6 concentrations are elevated in breast cancer patients [normal women 0.7 +/- 2.5 pg/ml (n=36), breast cancer patients 38.3 +/- 138.7 pg/ml (n = 111)]. After vaccination of breast cancer patients with a combination of tumour-associated antigens and biological adjuvants (IL-2 and GM-CSF), the concentration of IL-6 decreased significantly (P<0.05) to 8.1 +/- 14.6 pg/ml (n=85). Other studies have shown that oestrogen suppresses IL-6 production in oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells. We have demonstrated that the decrease in IL-6 associated with vaccination is related to the oestrogen receptor status of the tumours from breast cancer patients, as a decrease in IL-6 from 124.0 +/- 267.5 pg/ml (n=26) to 6.2 +/- 11.0 pg/ml (n=34) only occurs in patients with oestrogen receptor negative tumours. The IL-6 concentration in breast cancer patients with oestrogen receptor positive tumours remained unchanged (9.5 pg/ml before vaccination, and 9.3 pg/ml after vaccination). These results suggest that postmenopausal women with oestrogen receptor negative breast cancers, who do not respond well to either hormonal therapy with tamoxifen or adjuvant chemotherapy, may have a significant response to vaccination with autologous tumour-associated antigens.
Jiang
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XP
Mastology Research Institute, The Elliott Mastology Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA. emcmri@iamerica.net
Yang
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Elliott
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Head
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JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000276:immunology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000276:immunology; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014611:Vaccination
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018396:Mucin-1; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen