Biomarkers Associated with Lymphedema and Fibrosis in Patients with Cancer of the Head and Neck.

BACKGROUND

This study examined interrelationships of selected interleukins (ILs), tumor growth factors, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and C-reactive protein, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) with lymphedema/fibrosis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients newly diagnosed with ≥Stage II HNC (N = 100) were assessed for external/internal lymphedema and/or fibrosis before treatment, end-of-treatment, and at regularly established intervals through 72 weeks posttreatment and blood was drawn. Data from 83 patients were analyzed. Group-based trajectory modeling generated patient groups with similar longitudinal biomarker and lymphedema-fibrosis trajectories. Area-under-the-curve (AUC) values were also generated for each biomarker and severity of lymphedema-fibrosis. Associations among and between biomarkers and lymphedema-fibrosis trajectories and AUCs were tested (log-likelihood chi-square, correlations). The strongest evidence for the association of biomarkers with the overall and trajectory patterns and severity of lymphedema-fibrosis was observed for IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and MMP-9 (all p < 0.05). Convergence of joint trajectory patterns and AUC were observed with IL-6 with all lymphedema-fibrosis trajectories and internal lymphedema AUC. IL-1β trajectories converged with external lymphedema trajectories and all lymphedema-fibrosis AUCs. TNF-α and TGF-β1 converged most strongly with fibrosis in terms of trajectory patterns. However TNF-α demonstrated stronger association with lymphedema-fibrosis AUC (fibrosis: r = 0.49). MMP-9 demonstrated convergence with lymphedema-fibrosis AUCs (lymphedema: 0.43-0.42; fibrosis: 0.35).

CONCLUSION

Systemic levels of selected mediators of proinflammatory processes track with acute and chronic clinical phenotypes of lymphedema/fibrosis in HNC patients suggesting their potential role in the pathogenesis of these conditions.