title: Analysis of the effect of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble IL-6 receptor levels on survival of patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The correlations of serum interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor concentrations with clinicopathological features and survival of patients with colorectal cancer were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the serum levels of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor in 99 colorectal cancer patients at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. The interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor levels were tested for their association with each other, and with the clinical parameters and outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor concentrations were significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients than in normal individuals. Unlike patients with serum interleukin-6 levels >10 pg/ml, who have increased carcinoembryonic antigen levels and shorter survival, serum soluble interleukin-6 receptor levels >800 pg/ml were found in patients with stages I-II and no regional lymph nodal invasion and appeared to be a positive prognostic factor for improved survival. Especially, patients with serum interleukin-6 <10 pg/ml and soluble interleukin-6 receptor >800 pg/ml lived significantly longer. Nonetheless, the multivariate analysis showed that only tumor-node metastasis stage, metastatic status and serum interleukin-6 level were independent prognostic factors, whereas the serum soluble interleukin-6 receptor level became marginally important for survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest the clinical relevance of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor for the survival of colorectal cancer patients. From a practical point of view, detection of the serum interleukin-6 level alone, rather than combined measurement of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor, may be sufficient to independently predict survival in colorectal cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hemato-oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, 222 Maijin Road, Keelung, Taiwan. yehtyng@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kun-Yun
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Ying-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chang-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wen-Chi
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Chuang-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.forename: Rei-Ping
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Shuen-Kuei
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6