title: Cytokine serum levels in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade II-III treated with intralesional interferon-α 2b.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade II-III is being diagnosed in younger women and, because of the reproductive age range for women and the habits associated with a modern lifestyle, is now affecting a broad age range. Surgical treatment for CIN has been associated with premature amenorrhea, low birth weight, and premature labor and birth. It is therefore imperative to develop clinical treatments for CIN, such as conservative treatment with interferons. The object of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of cytokines (IFN- g, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, TGF β) in the serum of patients with an initial diagnosis of CIN II-III.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with CIN-CIN II (60%, n = 6) and CIN III (40%, n = 4), 23 to 51 years of age and who had not received any prior treatments, were evaluated. The patients were given 3 million/UI (per cm2 of colposcopic lesion) of human recombinant IFN-α 2b by intralesional administration (18 applications on alternate days). Before treatment, in the 6th, 12th, and 18th applications, blood was collected from the patients for cytokine analysis using ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half of the patients had a good pathologic response; the other half, all of whom were smokers, had therapeutic failure. The average concentration of IL-12 (pg/ml) in the serum of patients who responded well to therapy was elevated from the 12th and 18th application of IFN-α 2b compared to patients who experienced therapeutic failure: 1804.0 ± 1020 vs 391.2 ± 722.3 and 1738.0 ± 2426.0 vs 448.5 ± 407.2, respectively, P <0.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CIN II-III treated with intralesional IFN-α 2b achieved a good response in non-smoking patients and was associated with an increase in IL-12 serum levels.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Research Institute (IPON)/Discipline of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Avenida Getúlio Guaritá, s/n° Uberaba (MG), Brazil, CEP 38025-440, Bairro Abadia.
authors.forename: Daniela Ribeiro
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Misson
authors.forename: Douglas Reis
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Abdalla
authors.forename: Ariana Melo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Denis Sakamoto
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shimba
authors.forename: Sheila Jorge
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Adad
authors.forename: Márcia Antoniazi
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Michelin
authors.forename: Eddie Fernando Candido
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Murta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003127:Colposcopy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007378:Interleukins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma