title: Possible role for interleukins as biomarkers for mortality and recurrence in oral cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salivary and serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) have previously been studied in oral cancer with conflicting results.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a controlled study to assess the correlation between pretreatment salivary and serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8, and all-cause survival and cancer recurrence in oral cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two oral cancer patients and 52 healthy control cases were selected. In univariate analysis, salivary IL-6 and IL-8 seemed to be more expressed in cases (p&lt;0.001 and p = 0.010, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that higher pretreatment saliva IL-6 levels were significantly associated with better survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 8.62; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.21-62.50; p = 0.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To date, this is the largest prospective controlled study that has analyzed the pretreatment salivary and serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in oral cancer patients, suggesting salivary IL-6 as a possible prognostic biomarker. But further validation in a larger sample is still necessary.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Arduino
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menegatti
authors.forename: Nazario
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gardino
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tanteri
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.forename: Crispian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Broccoletti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007378:Interleukins