title: Serum cytokine levels in response to hepatic cryoablation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Oncology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu City, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuyama
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuhashi
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sakashita
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nonaka
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma