Analysis of the effect of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble IL-6 receptor levels on survival of patients with colorectal cancer.
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.
Yeh
Kun-Yun
KY
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
Li
Ying-Ying
YY
Hsieh
Ling-Ling
LL
Lu
Chang-Hsien
CH
Chou
Wen-Chi
WC
Liaw
Chuang-Chi
CC
Tang
Rei-Ping
RP
Liao
Shuen-Kuei
SK
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
D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6