title: Changes in the plasma levels of cytokines/chemokines for predicting the response to chemoradiation therapy in rectal cancer patients.
abstract: In the present study, we aimed to characterize the predictive value of cytokines/chemokines in rectal cancer (RC) patients receiving chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Blood samples were obtained pre- and post-CRT from 35 patients with advanced RC, who received neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery, and the correlation between plasma levels of cytokines/chemokines and the response to CRT was analyzed. The pre-CRT levels of soluble CD40-ligand (sCD40L) and the post-CRT levels of chemokine ligand-5 (CCL-5) were significantly associated with the depth of tumor invasion and with venous invasion. In addition, a significant decrease in sCD40L and CCL-5, as well as in platelet counts, was associated with a favorable response to CRT. A significant correlation between pre-CRT platelet counts and sCD40L was observed in patients with a favorable response. By contrast, higher post-CRT interleukin (IL)-6 was associated with a poor response. Platelets, immune system and cancer cells, cross-linked through various cytokines/chemokines, appear to play an important role in the response to CRT, and by understanding their roles, new approaches for the improvement of the therapy might be proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Nelson H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Tsuno
authors.forename: Kazushige
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murono
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nirei
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sunami
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kitayama
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C483024:CCL5 protein, human; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha