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Interleukin-17 may be a valuable serum tumor marker in patients with colorectal carcinoma

G. RADOSAVLJEVIC, B. LJUJIC, I. JOVANOVIC, Z. SRZENTIC, S. PAVLOVIC, N. ZDRAVKOVIC, M. MILOVANOVIC, D. BANKOVIC, M. KNEZEVIC, L. ACIMOVIC, N. ARSENIJEVIC

Abstract:

The promotion of tumor growth is due to a combination of several mechanisms, including angiogenesis and the abundance of cell-derived inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17) and the expression of p53 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), in order to determine the relationship between these markers and serum IL-17 levels in patients with colorectal carcinoma. Serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) (n=40) and in a healthy group (n=37) were analysed by ELISA. Surgically resected specimens of 59 colorectal carcinomas were studied by immunohistochemical staining for VEGF and p53. Analyses by ELISA showed significantly higher IL-17 serum levels in patients with colorectal carcinoma than in control subjects (IL-17; mean 128.52±47.62 pg/ml vs. mean 101.91±22.46 pg/ml; p=0.022). We also found an inverse correlation between p53 expression and the level of IL-17 in the serum of patients with CRC. In fact, the serum concentration of IL-17 was significantly higher in patients who did not express p53 (p=0.023). There was no significant correlation between the expression of p53 and VEGF. However, concomitant expression of VEGF and p53 showed a significant correlation with the histological and nuclear grade of the carcinoma.The data presented in our study indicate that IL-17 might act as a valuable tumor marker in patients with CRC and that combined analysis of p53 and VEGF expression might provide additional information about tumor features.

Issue: 2/2010

Volume: 2010

Pages: 135 — 144

DOI: 10.4149/neo_2010_02_135

Pubmed

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