Ashizawa Tatsuto, Okada Ryosuke, Suzuki Yoshiaki, Takagi Makoto, Yamazaki Tatsuyuki, Sumi Tetsuo, Aoki Toshiaki, Ohnuma Shinobu, Aoki Tatsuya
Department of Digestive Tract Surgery, Hachioji Medical Center of Tokyo Medical University, Tate-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0998, Japan.
Gastric Cancer. 2005;8(2):124-31. doi: 10.1007/s10120-005-0315-x.
It is becoming clear that various cytokines are associated with the spread of cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to compare interleukin (IL)-6 levels in patients with gastric cancer to elucidate the role of IL-6 in predicting the spread of tumors.
In 60 patients, we assessed the correlation of serum IL-6 (pg/ml) with stage, histological findings, hepatic metastasis, and related factors (hepatocyte growth factor [HGF], IL-1beta, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, and transforming growth factor [TGF]-beta1). We also investigated the diagnostic significance of the IL-6 level for advanced gastric cancer and lymph node metastasis, as well as the association between IL-6 elevation and outcome. Finally, we examined the expression of IL-6 in tumor tissue.
Significant relationships were seen between serum IL-6 and stage, depth of tumor invasion (pT), lymphatic invasion (ly), venons invasion (v)*, lymph node metastasis (pN), hepatic metastasis (cH), and HGF (P < 0.01; *P < 0.05). With regard to the diagnostic significance of the IL-6 level for advanced gastric cancer and lymph node metastasis, when the cutoff value of IL-6 was set at 1.97 pg/ml, the sensitivity was 81.8% and 87.5%; specificity was 66.7% and 58.3%; and accuracy was 77.1% and 72.9%, respectively. The 1- and 3-year cumulative survival rates for patients with an IL-6 value of more than 1.97 pg/ml (69.0% and 43.4%, respectively) were significantly lower than those for patients with an IL-6 value of 1.97 pg/ml or less (94.4% and 87.2%, respectively; P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining was positive for IL-6 in the cytoplasm of cancer cells.
We suspect that IL-6 is involved in cancer invasion and lymph node and/or hepatic metastasis. Our results indicate that IL-6 could be used as a prognostic factor for survival.
越来越清楚的是，多种细胞因子与癌细胞的扩散有关。本研究的目的是比较胃癌患者的白细胞介素（IL）-6水平，以阐明IL-6在预测肿瘤扩散中的作用。
在60例患者中，我们评估了血清IL-6（pg/ml）与分期、组织学结果、肝转移及相关因子（肝细胞生长因子[HGF]、IL-1β、肿瘤坏死因子[TNF]-α和转化生长因子[TGF]-β1）之间的相关性。我们还研究了IL-6水平对进展期胃癌和淋巴结转移的诊断意义，以及IL-6升高与预后的关系。最后，我们检测了肿瘤组织中IL-6的表达。
血清IL-6与分期、肿瘤浸润深度（pT）、淋巴浸润（ly）、静脉浸润（v）*、淋巴结转移（pN）、肝转移（cH）和HGF之间存在显著相关性（P < 0.01；*P < 0.05）。关于IL-6水平对进展期胃癌和淋巴结转移的诊断意义，当IL-6的临界值设定为1.97 pg/ml时，敏感性分别为81.8%和87.5%；特异性分别为66.7%和58.3%；准确性分别为77.1%和72.9%。IL-6值大于1.97 pg/ml的患者1年和3年累积生存率（分别为69.0%和43.4%）显著低于IL-6值小于或等于1.97 pg/ml的患者（分别为94.4%和87.2%；P < 0.05）。免疫组织化学染色显示癌细胞胞质中IL-6呈阳性。
我们怀疑IL-6参与了癌症侵袭以及淋巴结和/或肝转移。我们的结果表明，IL-6可作为生存的预后因素。
