title: Prognostic value of circulating cytokines for stage III colon cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was to determine preoperative serum levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in stage III colon cancer and correlate them with disease status and prognosis. The circulating EGF in correlation with primary site epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was also evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven patients with curatively resected stage III colon cancer were selected for analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine EGF and IL-6 serum levels, and serum CRP levels were measured via immunoturbidimetry. EGFR expression was observed with immunohistochemical studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median levels of EGFR, IL-6, and CRP were 189.4 pg/mL, 9.09 pg/mL, and 1.4 mg/mL, respectively. The factors related to recurrence with statistical significance included positive node status (P = 0.041), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.001), and preoperative IL-6 level ≥9 pg/mL (P = 0.020). CRP and EGF levels were not significantly associated with disease-free survival rates (P = 0.438 and P = 0.309, respectively). Multivariate analysis using Cox's proportion model revealed that lymph node status was the single independent prognostic factor for predicting time until recurrence (odds ratio, 4.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-22.91; P = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-6 expression in stage III colon cancer patients appears to be a prognostic marker of tumor behavior. No correlations between serum EGF concentrations and tumor EGFR positivity were found in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University, School of medicine, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Suk
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeong-Heum
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Dong Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Myeong Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nam
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D002097:C-Reactive Protein