title: Correlation between serum levels of interleukin-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor in gastric carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with the disease status of gastric carcinoma. However, their relationship remains unclear. This study aims to determine and correlate serum levels of VEGF and IL-6 in gastric carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 107 patients receiving gastrectomy entered this study. Serum levels of VEGF and IL-6 were measured by using ELISA, and were analyzed by using the Student's t-test to compare means and by Pearson correlation analysis to calculate correlation coefficients with respect to pathological characteristics including depth of tumor invasion, Laurén's classification, tumor location, Borrmann classification, and the status of lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with mixed type carcinoma (387.5 +/- 176.9 vs 255.3 +/- 154.1 pg/mL, P = 0.047) or lymph node metastasis (339.1 +/- 205.1 vs 223.2 +/- 197.4 pg/mL, P = 0.007). Serum IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients with Borrmann type IV carcinoma, compared with Borrmann type II and III carcinoma. In general, no correlation was noted between serum VEGF levels and IL-6 levels (r = 0.142, P = 0.145), but significant correlation was found in patients with early gastric carcinoma (r = 0.627, P = 0.004) or mixed type carcinoma (r = 0.804, P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the correlation between serum VEGF and IL-6 levels in distinct subsets of gastric carcinoma patients, and indicates that IL-6 may play a role for the angiogenesis of gastric carcinoma via modulation of VEGF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei.
authors.forename: Shih-Pei
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming-Shiang
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hsiu-Po
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chang-Shiu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Min-Liang
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Jaw-Town
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors