title: Serum interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 levels as a tumor marker in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 participate in tumor immunology. Serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels were determined in patients with esophageal carcinoma, and the relationship between clinicopathologic factors and prognosis was investigated. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 15 healthy volunteers and from 70 patients with esophageal carcinoma before curative surgery. IL-12 and IL-18 levels were determined in each serum sample by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mean serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with esophageal carcinoma compared with healthy volunteers (P < 0.05) and mean serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels increased in patients as the pathologic stage progressed. A positive correlation was observed between serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels (P < 0.01). In patients with esophageal carcinoma, increasing serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels correlated with tumor growth and progression. The function of these two interleukin in the host immune response remains unclear. However, this part of the host immune response did not appear to contribute to the postoperative prognosis. Serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels might correlate with a certain depth of invasion and might be useful tumor markers in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma University, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. tsuboik@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Ryokuhei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manda
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020382:Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma