title: Interleukin 16 expression changes in association with ovarian malignant transformation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term unresolved inflammation has been suggested as a risk factor for the development of various malignancies. The goal of this study was to examine whether the expression of interleukin (IL)-16, a proinflammatory cytokine, changes in association with ovarian cancer (OVCA) development.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an exploratory study, changes in IL-16 expression in association with OVCA development and progression were determined using ovarian tissues and serum samples from healthy subjects (n = 10) and patients with benign (n = 10) and malignant ovarian tumors at early (n = 8) and late (n = 20) stages. In the prospective study, laying hens, a preclinical model of spontaneous OVCA, were monitored (n = 200) for 45 weeks with serum samples collected at 15-week interval. Changes in serum levels of IL-16 relative to OVCA development were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of IL-16-expressing cells increased significantly in patients with OVCA (P < .001) compared to healthy subjects and patients with benign ovarian tumors. The concentration of serum IL-16 was higher in patients with benign tumors (P < .05) than in healthy subjects and increased further in patients with early-stage (P < .05) and late-stage (P < .03) OVCA. Increase in tissue expression and serum levels of IL-16 in patients with early and late stages of OVCA were positively correlated with the increase in ovarian tumor-associated microvessels. Prospective monitoring showed that serum levels of IL-16 increase significantly (P < .002) even before ovarian tumors become grossly detectable in hens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that tissue expression and serum levels of IL-16 increase in association with malignant ovarian tumor development and progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yellapa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Pincas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bitterman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Alfred S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Guirguis
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.
authors.forename: Janice M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bahr
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Sanjib
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.
authors.forename: Jacques S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Abramowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: Animesh_Barua@rush.edu.
authors.forename: Animesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019410:Interleukin-16
keywords: interleukin 16; laying hen model; malignant transformation; ovarian cancer