Expression and significance of intratumoral interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 in human gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of intratumoral expressions of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) on clinical features, angiogenesis and prognosis of gastric carcinoma.


METHODS
The expressions of IL-12 and IL-18 from 50 samples of gastric cancer tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and microvessel density (MVD) was determined with microscopic imaging analysis system.


RESULTS
The positive expression rates of IL-12 and IL-18 were 44% (22/50) and 26% (13/50), respectively. IL-12 was significantly associated with pathologic differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM stage, and IL-18 was closely related to distant metastasis. Intratumoral IL-12 and IL-18 expressions were not statistically related to MVD scoring. IL-12-positive patients survived significantly longer than those with IL-12-negative tumors, but there was no significant difference between IL-18-positive patients and IL-18-negative ones. The multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard model revealed IL-12, MVD and T stage were independent prognostic factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The positive expressions of IL-12 and IL-18 can play an important role in progression and metastasis of gastric cancer, and IL-12 might be an independent factor of poor prognosis in gastric carcinoma.
Ye
Zheng-Bao
ZB
Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, No. 197 Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200030, China. yezhengbao_ruijin@yahoo.com.cn
Ma
Tao
T
Li
Hao
H
Jin
Xiao-Long
XL
Xu
Hai-Min
HM
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D020382:Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12