title: Serum interleukin-18 and nitric oxide activity in bladder carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both interleukin-18 and nitric oxide are multifunctional molecules that are involved in the different steps of carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we measured serum interleukin-18 and nitric oxide activity in 51 bladder cancer patients with different tumor stage and grade, and in 8 healthy controls. Serum nitrite-nitrate levels were measured as an index of nitric oxide generation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum interleukin-18 levels were significantly higher in bladder cancer patients when compared to the control subjects (p > 0.05). Serum interleukin-18 levels were found to be higher in patients with Ta stage than patients with T1 and T2, T3, T4 stages and in patients with grade 1 tumors than patients with grade 2 and grade 3 tumors, but this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum nitrite + nitrate levels between bladder cancer patients and control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated serum interleukin-18 levels in bladder carcinoma patients may be a result of host defence mechanism against the growth and progression of bladder cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Gazi University Medical School, Department of Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Neslihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bukan
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sözen
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sancak
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Günel
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bozkirli
authors.forename: Cagri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Senocak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D009569:Nitric Oxide