title: Clinical significance of serum interleukin-17 levels in colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-17 (IL-17) plays a potent role in T-cell mediated angiogenesis and promotes tumorigenicity. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in relation to serum IL-17 levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six CRC patients were enrolled in this study. Pre-treatment serum IL-17 levels were determined by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty age - and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median patient age was 60 years (range: 24-84) and the most frequent localization was colon (N=59;61%). Median follow-up time was 14 months, 27 patients (28%) experienced disease progression, and 20 of the remaining patients (20%) died. The estimated and 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates for the whole patient group were 26.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]=9.9-44.0) and 71% (95% CI=56.0- 85.0), respectively. The number of patients who received neoadjuvant treatment was 25. Of the patients who received palliative treatment, 11 had oxaliplatin whereas 18 and 7 had irinotecan and FU/capecitabine, chemotherapy (CTx). Twenty-four and nine of the patients who received targeted therapy had bevacizumab and cetuximab, respectively. Thirty-three percent of 36 metastatic patients who received palliative CTx were CTx-responsive. The baseline median serum IL-17 levels were significantly lower in patients with CRC than in the healthy control group (p=0.01). Moreover, known clinical variables including older age, poor grade and low albumin levels were found to be correlated with high serum IL-17 concentrations (p=0.02, p=0.02, and p=0.04, respectively). No statistically significant serum IL- 17 concentrations were noted regarding PFS and OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of IL-17 may be diagnostic marker in CRC patients. However, no predictive and prognostic values were determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Senem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Usul Afsar
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alis
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kones
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bilgin
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faruk Aykan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020381:Interleukin-17