title: Relationships between local and systemic expression of interleukin-12 and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine that exhibits potent anti-tumor and anti-metastatic activities. Very few studies have investigated the expression of IL-12 in patients with gastric cancer. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression and serum levels of IL-12, and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  IL-12 was immunohistochemically stained using monoclonal anti-human IL-12 antibody (1-1A4) in surgical specimens of 27 gastric cancer patients. IL-12-positive cells were counted and positive cell density was calculated. Blood was obtained before surgery. Serum levels of IL-12 and plasma levels of VEGF were assessed using the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. The relationships of IL-12-positive cell density, serum levels of IL-12, plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and clinicopathological factors were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although IL-12-positive cell density was not associated with serum levels of IL-12, the IL-12-positive cell density tended to increase in patients with serum levels of IL-12 higher than the mean level (p=0.0518). IL-12-positive cell density significantly decreased in the patients with CEA positive or differentiated type. Moreover, IL-12-positive cell density tended to be inversely correlated with plasma levels of VEGF (p=0.0801, r=-0.343).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the immune efficiency in patients with gastric cancer may be reflected by IL-12-positive cell density and serum levels of IL-12. Thus, patients with low IL-12-positive cell density or serum levels of IL-12 in gastric cancer may require additional immunochemotherapy after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery 1, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kita-Kyushu 807-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Yuzuru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsuki
authors.forename: Kentarou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibao
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsurudome
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sako
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D018664:Interleukin-12