title: Plasma Cytokines Correlated With Disease Characteristics, Progression-Free Survival, and Overall Survival in Testicular Germ-Cell Tumor Patients.
abstract: Cytokines are the communicators of immune system and are involved in all immune responses. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation among plasma cytokines, patient and tumor characteristics, and clinical outcome in chemonaive testicular germ-cell tumor (TGCT) patients.
  
  
  
  This study included 92 metastatic chemotherapy-naive TGCT patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy from July 2010 to March 2014. Plasma was isolated before first administration of chemotherapy, and the concentration of 51 plasma cytokines were analyzed using multiplex bead arrays.
  
  
  
  At a median follow-up of 33.2 months (range, 0.1-54.8 months), 10.9% of patients experienced disease progression, and 7.6% died. Several cytokines were associated with different baseline clinicopathologic features. Elevated plasma levels of interferon (IFN)-α2, interleukin (IL)-2Rα, IL-16, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-3 were significantly associated with worse progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). Moreover, elevated levels of stem-cell growth factor (SCGF)-β were also associated with worse OS. Patients with elevated levels of all 6 cytokines experienced significantly worse outcomes compared to patients who had fewer than 6 cytokines elevated (hazard ratio = 12.06; 95% confidence interval, 7.39-19.49; P = .002 for progression-free survival, and hazard ratio = 39.65; 95% confidence interval, 25.03-62.18; P < .00001 for OS, respectively). Results were independent of International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group criteria.
  
  
  
  We found a correlation among progression free-survival, OS, and circulating cytokines in TGCT. This suggests the existence an association between plasma cytokines and baseline clinicopathologic features in TGCT. Plasma cytokines could be used for identification of high-risk patients who are candidates for new therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Unit, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Clinical Trials, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Svetlovska
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Viera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miskovska
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cholujova
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gronesova
authors.affiliation: Oncohematology Clinic, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cingelova
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chovanec
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sycova-Mila
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Obertova
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palacka
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajec
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Unit, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalavska
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology of St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Sciences and St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Vanda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Usakova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luha
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Dalibor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ondrus
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Medical Oncology of St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Sciences and St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spanik
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mardiak
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Unit, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia; 2nd Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia; Clinic of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia. Electronic address: misomego@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mego
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; C051713:antineoplastic agent K 18; D008558:Melphalan
keywords: Biomarker; Cytokines; Plasma; Prognosis; Testicular germ cell tumors