Differences in cytokine levels in melanoma patients with and without redness (Brenner sign).
BACKGROUND
In view of several studies highlighting an observation of an erythematous eruption in the vicinity of or distant from the lesion in melanoma patients (The Brenner sign), this study sought to assess whether this phenomenon might be related to the blood level of cytokines IL-6 and IL-8.


METHODS
Sera specimens obtained from 27 patients with melanoma, of which 15 had erythematous eruptions and 12 did not, were studied by immunohistochemistry for the expression of IL-6 and IL-8.


RESULTS
IL-6 was detected in all melanoma patients in both groups. The mean level of IL-6 in the redness group (2.41 pg/L) was significantly higher than in the group without redness (1.25 pg/L). IL-8 was detected in all 27 melanoma patients in the two groups. The serum level was less than 5 pg/L in only 1 patient (6.7%) in the redness group, and in 6 patients (50%) in the group without redness, a statistically significant difference.


CONCLUSIONS
The Brenner sign appears to reflect a more advanced disease and herald a poor prognosis according to its correlation with the IL-8 and IL-6 blood level. However, in view of the biphasic effect of IL-8 level on tumor progression, and IL-6's ability to inhibit early stage melanoma, redness in melanoma patients could be a sign of a better prognosis of the melanoma.
Mashiah
Jacob
J
Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. ymashiah@012.net.il
Brenner
Sarah
S
Pessach
Yakov
Y
Barak
Vivianne
V
Schachter
Jacob
J
D004890:Erythema / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8