title: Prognostic and clinical implication of IL-6 expression in glioblastoma multiforme.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is frequently produced in gliomas and has been implicated as a mediator of growth control in several human neoplasms. In this study, IL-6 expression was examined in 11 surgically resected glioblastomas and a cell line U87MG by immunohistochemical staining and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The relationships between IL-6 expression level and clinical presentation, survival, imaging findings, age and preoperative Karnofsky performance status were analyzed. The median survival times were 16 months in patients with negative IL-6 expression and 7 months in those with positive IL-6 expression (P = 0.075). Three of these patients with a relatively longer survival time (> 1 year) did not express IL-6 in the tumor. Relatively more severe peri-focal edema on imaging was also noted in the glioblastomas with IL-6 expression. IL-6 was also found in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells of newly formed vessels and infiltrating inflammatory cells. These preliminary results implicate IL-6 expression as a possible prognostic indicator in glioblastoma. This cytokine may also play a role in tissue edema, angiogenesis and inflammation of this tumor, but whether IL-6 expression promotes malignancy is uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, ROC.
authors.forename: Cheng-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Mu-Chun
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Su-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Yen-Len
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chiung-Chyi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hung-Chuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger