title: Significance of the correlation between the expression of interleukin 6 and clinical features in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of the study were to identify the significance of interleukin (IL)-6 production and to determine whether IL-6 production influences long-term survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 90 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgery between 2005 and 2007 was analyzed. Preoperative serum IL-6 was measured, and tumor samples were immunohistochemically stained for IL-6.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-6 levels were elevated in 43 of 90 cases (47.7%), and 23 (25.5%) of 90 cases stained positively for IL-6 (P = .00265). The prognosis of patients with NSCLC who had positive immunohistochemical staining was significantly worse than that for those who had negative staining, by univariate analysis (P = .0027). Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size, postoperative stage, and overexpression of IL-6 were independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of IL-6 in tumor correlated with the concentration of serum IL-6, tumor progression, and overall survival in patients with NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, Owada-Shinden Yachiyo City, Chiba, Japan. eitetsuk@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eitetsu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iizasa
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaji
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiroshima
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6