Serum cytokine profiling as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in ovarian cancer: a potential role for interleukin 7.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate if serum cytokine levels could be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers in ovarian cancer.


METHODS
A cytokine bead array was done to simultaneously analyze 14 cytokines in the sera of 187 ovarian cancer patients with complete clinicopathologic data and follow-up, 45 patients with benign ovarian tumors, and 50 healthy controls. Serum levels of the well-known serum tumor marker CA-125 were routinely measured in all patients.


RESULTS
Serum levels of CA-125, interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-7, and IL-10 were elevated in ovarian cancer patients compared with patients with benign ovarian tumors. Analyzing the cytokines in combination with CA-125 showed that a combination of IL-7 and CA-125 serum levels could accurately predict 69% of the ovarian cancer patients, without falsely classifying patients with benign pelvic mass. The cytokines IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and IP-10 and CA-125 were associated with disease-free and overall survival in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, IL-7 and IP-10 were independent predictors of overall survival, although after inclusion of the clinicopathologic parameters, only stage and residual disease remained as independent predictors of survival.


CONCLUSIONS
IL-7 levels were found to be strongly associated with ovarian cancer and could be used in combination with CA-125 to distinguish between malignant and benign ovarian tumors.
Lambeck
Annechien J A
AJ
Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Crijns
Anne P G
AP
Leffers
Ninke
N
Sluiter
Wim J
WJ
ten Hoor
Klaske A
KA
Braid
Mike
M
van der Zee
Ate G J
AG
Daemen
Toos
T
Nijman
Hans W
HW
Kast
W Martin
WM
D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D016207:Cytokines; D015851:Interleukin-7