title: Serum interleukin-6 levels in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma compared to gastric and pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a major role in inflammatory processes and various malignancies. Serum IL-6 levels from patients with gastric MALT lymphoma, gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum 11-6 levels were obtained in a total of 86 patients. A two-tailed Mann-Whitney-test was performed to compare the results. A p-level <0.05 was deemed statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In lymphoma patients, the mean IL-6 levels were 12.633 pg/ml (SD 10.465). The levels for gastric cancer were 6.324 pg/ml (SD 11.497) and 27.4 pg/ml (SD 86.272) for pancreatic cancer. A comparison between MALT lymphoma and gastric cancer revealed a significant difference (p=0.0030), while no difference was found between MALT lymphoma and pancreatic cancer. The 11-6 levels, however, were higher in pancreatic cancer than gastric cancer (p =0.0040).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results might reflect a greater importance of IL-6 in the development and growth of MALT lymphoma and, possibly, pancreatic cancer than in gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woehrer
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raderer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hejna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6