Increased serum interleukin-8 in patients with early and metastatic breast cancer correlates with early dissemination and survival.
OBJECTIVE
The prognostic significance of serum interleukin (IL)-8 was evaluated in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The predictive value of serum IL-8 for the presence of occult metastatic tumor cells in bone marrow aspirates was evaluated in patients with operable and metastatic breast cancer.


METHODS
Serum IL-8 was measured in healthy controls, patients with operable breast cancer, and patients with untreated, progressive metastatic breast cancer. In 69 patients with either operable or advanced breast cancer, occult cytokeratin-positive cells were counted in bone marrow aspirates.


RESULTS
Serum IL-8 levels are increased in 67% (52 of 77) of patients with advanced breast cancer. Overall, these levels are significantly higher in patients with breast cancer compared with healthy volunteers (P < 0.001). The IL-8 levels increase significantly in patients with more advanced disease. An elevated serum IL-8 is related to an accelerated clinical course, a higher tumor load, and the presence of liver or lymph node involvement. A multivariate analysis indicates that serum IL-8 is an independent significant factor for postrelapse survival. There was a significant difference between serum IL-8 levels in patients with or without occult cytokeratin-positive bone marrow cells (P < 0.04). Serum IL-8 levels also showed an association with the number of these cells (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IL-8 is increased in patients with breast cancer and has an independent prognostic significance for postrelapse survival. The observations on the relationship between occult cytokeratin-positive bone marrow cells corroborate the concept of IL-8 acting as a contributor to the process of tumor cell dissemination. Similarly, the relationship between serum IL-8 and nodal stage at presentation deserves further study. These results further expand the concept that inflammation and inflammatory cytokines are critical components of tumor progression.
Benoy
Ina H
IH
Translational Cancer Research Group Antwerp, University of Antwerp, General Hospital Sint-Augustinus, Wilrijk, Belgium.
Salgado
Roberto
R
Van Dam
Peter
P
Geboers
Katrien
K
Van Marck
Eric
E
Scharpé
Simon
S
Vermeulen
Peter B
PB
Dirix
Luc Y
LY
D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016209:Interleukin-8