title: Novel cytokines: IL-27, IL-29, IL-31 and IL-33. Can they be useful in clinical practice at the time diagnosis of lung cancer?
abstract: There are several antiproliferative and angiogenic factors, recently have been discovered (IL-27, IL-29, IL-31 and IL-33), but they have not been tested yet in lung cancer patients. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the clinical usefulness of determination of IL-27, IL-29, IL-31 and IL-33 in advanced stages of lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 45 patients (38 males; mean age 62 years; 45 with advanced NSCLC). Serum and BALF cytokine concentrations were evaluated by ELISA method before chemotherapy. The comparative groups consisted of patients with sarcoidosis (BBS, n = 15), hypersensivity pneumonitis (HP, n = 8) and healthy subjects (n = 15).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum IL-29 levels were higher in NSCLC patients than in the sarcoidosis group. However, serum IL-27, IL-31 and IL-33 did not differ markedly between: NSCLC, BBS, HP and the control group. Concentrations of IL-29 and IL-31 in BALF did not differ significantly between investigated groups. In all groups levels of IL-27 and IL-29 are significantly higher in serum than in BALF. Concentrations of IL-31 in BBS, HP and control groups tended to higher in BALF than in serum. These differences were significantly in NSCLC patients. Patients in stage IIIB of NSCLC had higher serum levels of IL-29 than these in stage IV. Lung cancer patients with partial remission (PR) after chemotherapy had significantly higher concentration of IL-27 in BALF than patients with SD. However, patients with SD had higher levels of IL-29 in BALF than patients with PD. A negative correlation was found between serum IL-31 levels before therapy and time to progression of NSCLC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of IL-27, IL-29 and IL-31 in serum and BALF can be useful in clinical practice, but their practical significance needs further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-540, Poland. naumw@post.pl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Naumnik
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Naumnik
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niewiarowska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ossolinska
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chyczewska
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines; D007372:Interferons; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins; C000624353:interferon-lambda, human; D000095022:Interferon Lambda; C502187:IL31 protein, human; C506536:IL33 protein, human; C464565:MYDGF protein, human