Impact of weight loss on circulating IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, VEGF-A, VEGF-C and midkine in gastroesophageal cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
Proinflammatory cytokines are involved in cancer-related weight loss, but the involvement of VEGF-A, VEGF-C, IL-8 and midkine in gastroesophageal cancer patients remains unknown.


METHODS
Serum IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and midkine were evaluated in 96 cancer patients and 42 controls using ELISAs and were related to the occurrence of weight loss, patient's age, gender and BMI, cancer TNM status and blood cell counts.


RESULTS
All cytokines were elevated in cancer patients with further up-regulation of IL-6, IL-8, midkine and VEGF-A in cachexia. Underweight, midkine and VEGF-A were found independent indicators of weight loss. Primary tumor seems to be a major source of pro-cachectic cytokines, yet neutrophils and platelets also contribute to cytokine elevation.


CONCLUSIONS
IL-6 and IL-8, and probably midkine and VEGF-A, appear to participate in the development of cancer-related cachexia in gastroesophageal malignancies, although a detailed mechanism underlying cytokine involvement needs to be elucidated.
Krzystek-Korpacka
Malgorzata
M
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Chalubinskiego 10, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland. krzystek@bioch.am.wroc.pl
Matusiewicz
Malgorzata
M
Diakowska
Dorota
D
Grabowski
Krzysztof
K
Blachut
Katarzyna
K
Kustrzeba-Wojcicka
Irena
I
Banas
Teresa
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078792:Midkine; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000097:blood*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D000078792:Midkine