High interleukin-6 mRNA expression is a predictor of relapse in colon cancer
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
AIM: To investigate the expression of interleukin-6 (IL6) in colon cancer tissue, and to examine if the risk of relapse is influenced by IL6 expression.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh-frozen biopsies from tumor and normal adjacent tissues were taken from patients with colon cancer during surgery and stored at -80 °C. mRNA expression for interleukin-6 was evaluated with reverse transcription real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Survival analyses were carried-out using a Cox competing risk regression model.
RESULTS: IL6 mRNA was significantly more highly expressed in tumor tissue compared to normal adjacent tissue (p<0.001). We found no significant association with regard to IL6 expression and histological differentiation or cancer stage. We found a significant association between high IL6 expression and risk of relapse (Hazard Ratio=2.23, 95% CI=1.10-4.53; p<0.05), also when adjusted for clinicopathological characteristics (Hazard Ratio=2.16, 95% CI=1.07-4.40; p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: Interleukin-6 is up-regulated in colon cancer tissue at the transcriptional level and is significantly associated with increased risk of relapse.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Anticancer Research |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 2235-40 |
Number of pages | 6 |
ISSN | 0250-7005 |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2015 |
ID: 138764413