The prognostic value of preoperative serum levels of IL‐12p40 and IL‐23 for survival of patients with colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients were previously shown to express a signature of cytokines that contribute to cancer pathogenesis and are detectable in serum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential clinical use of circulating cytokine measurements in CRC patients preoperatively as markers for disease outcome. The levels of cytokines IL‐12p40 and IL‐23 were assessed by ELISA in the sera of 91 patients with previously untreated CRC and then 5‐year survival was determined using Kaplan–Meier analyses. The levels of circulating interleukin IL‐12p40 significantly decreased with the progression of CRC, whereas the levels of IL‐23 remained with no significant differences between disease stages. None of the cytokine levels were influenced by age, gender and colon vs rectum localization. We found that preoperative serum concentration of IL‐12p40 cytokine is a good prognostic marker for survival; as for IL‐23 levels, we found no outcome prognostic value. In addition, 5‐year survival confirmed that tumor grade, bowel wall invasion, lymph node and metastatic status have an impact on overall survival. In conclusion, we believe that our findings show clinical significance of the preoperative serum concentration for IL‐12p40 and provide an additional prognostic biomarker for CRC survival.     

Adhesion molecules in chronic ulcerative colitis

Background and aims The adhesion molecule expression in colonic mucosa is pivotal for transition from quiescent to active stage of ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of the present study is to reveal the adhesion molecule profile of colonic mucosa in the active stage of UC and in remission. Materials and methods Biopsy specimens obtained from 14 patients with UC (seven with active disease and seven with UC in remission) and from seven controls were used. Immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, LFA-1, Mac-1, and VLA-4. Results In controls, slight ICAM-1 positivity was observed on thety endothelium of blood vessels of the mucosal and submucosal layer and only single ICAM-1-, Mac-1-, and LFA-1-positive cells were found. In all patients with UC, the endothelium of venules in the edematous mucosal and submucosal layers was ICAM-1-, VCAM-1-, and E-selectin-positive. Numerous ICAM-1- and LFA-1-positive and less VCAM-1-, Mac-1-, and VLA-4-positive inflammatory cells were detected in mucous layers of acute UC. In specimens of UC in remission, the inflammatory cells positive for the studied adhesion molecules were significantly less in number in the mucosa and submucosa (p < 0.05). Conclusions Based on the increased expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and their ligands LFA-1 and VLA-4 in patients with UC, we can conclude that these adhesion molecules play a key role in the adherence of lymphocytes and macrophages to endothelial cells maintaining the chronic inflammation. Presence of E-selectin on endothelial cells of venules could be a sign of relapse after remission in UC.