Serum cytokine levels in response to hepatic cryoablation.
OBJECTIVE
Cryogenic treatment sometimes stimulates the immune system by releasing intracellular antigens. We evaluated anti-tumor immune response by analyzing alterations in serum cytokine levels.


METHODS
Percutaneous cryosurgery was performed in 13 patients with unresectable tumors. Serum levels of interleukin (IL) -4, -6, and -10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interferon (IFN)-gamma were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Th1/Th2 ratio was estimated from the IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio.


RESULTS
Levels of serum factors in the immune reaction (IR) group, in which tumor necrosis was identified not only in the treated area but also away from the treated area, were compared with those in the local effect (LE) group. Serum amyloid A (SAA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and IL-6 levels were increased in both groups after three treatments. The serum IL-10 level tended to increase with the number of treatments. Pretreatment IL-10 levels in the LE group were significantly greater than those in the IR group, and the maximum value in the LE group (59.5 +/- 13.2 pg/ml) was greater than that in the IR group (47.0 +/- 15.0 pg/ml). The TNF-alpha level was increased in the IR group. Pretreatment TNF-alpha levels and maximum levels in response to treatment were significantly greater in the IR group than in the LE group (P = 0.0313). The Th1/Th2 ratio was increased in the IR group, and the maximum ratio was significantly greater in the IR group than in the LE group.


CONCLUSIONS
It might be possible to evaluate the appearance of immune responses to cryosurgery by monitoring serum cytokine levels.
Osada
Shinji
S
Surgical Oncology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu City, Japan.
Imai
Hisashi
H
Tomita
Hiroyuki
H
Tokuyama
Yasuharu
Y
Okumura
Naoki
N
Matsuhashi
Nobuhisa
N
Sakashita
Fumio
F
Nonaka
Kenichi
K
D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma