Interleukin-24 is correlated with differentiation and lymph node numbers in rectal cancer

Table 1 Patients characteristics

	n (%)
Age (yr)
Median	59
Range	34 - 77
Sex
Male	47 (52.2)
Female	43 (47.8)
Histologic differentiation
Well	46 (51.1)
Moderately	34 (37.8)
Poorly	10 (11.1)
T stage
T1	1 (1.1)
T2	8 (8.9)
T3	79 (87.8)
T4	2 (2.2)
N stage
N1a	24 (26.7)
N1b	26 (28.9)
N2a	16 (17.8)
N2b	24 (26.7)
Stage
IIIa	8 (8.9)
IIIb	57 (63.3)
IIIc	25 (27.8)
VEGF expression
Negative	26 (28.9)
Positive	64 (71.1)
Intensity of IL-24 expression
Negative	9 (10.0)
Weak	31 (34.4)
Strong	50 (55.6)

IL: Interleukin; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor.

Table 2 Correlation of interleukin-24 and vascular endothelial growth factor expressions with patients’ characteristics in lymph node positive rectal cancer patients

	IL-24			VEGF
	Negative1 (%)	Positive1 (%)	P value	Negative (%)	Positive (%)	P value
Differentiation			0.009			0.634
Well	19 (41.3)	27 (58.7)		12 (26.1)	34 (73.9)
Moderate	12 (35.3)	22 (64.7)		10 (29.4)	24 (70.6)
Poor	9 (90.0)	1 (10.0)	0.004 (poor vs others)	4 (40.0)	6 (60.0)
N stage			0.055			0.463
N1a	9 (37.5)	15 (62.5)		4 (16.7)	20 (83.3)
N1b	11 (42.3)	15 (57.7)		8 (30.8)	18 (69.2)
N2a	4 (25.0)	12 (75.0)		6 (37.5)	10 (62.5)
N2b	16 (66.7)	8 (33.3)	0.016 (N1~N2a vs N2b)	8 (33.3)	16 (66.7)
Stage			0.055			0.164
IIIa	3 (37.5)	5 (62.5)		0 (0.0)	8 (100.0)
IIIb	22 (37.3)	37 (62.7)		18 (30.5)	41 (69.5)
IIIc	15 (65.2)	8 (34.8)	0.028 (IIIa, IIIb vs IIIc)	8 (34.8)	15 (65.2)

¹Negative (n = 9) and weak (n = 31) intensities were classified as negative expression, and strong intensity (n = 50) as positive one. IL: Interleukin; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor.

Table 3 Correlation of interleukin-24 expressions with the number of lymph nodes in the node positive rectal cancer

	n	No. of lymph nodes	P value
Intensity of IL-24 expression			0.001
Negative	9	12.11 ± 13.878
Weak	31	5.48 ± 5.253
Strong	50	3.70 ± 3.346
IL-24 expression			0.012
Negative (negative & weak intensity)	40	6.98 ± 8.282
Positive	50	3.70 ± 3.346
IL-24 expression			0.000
Negative	9	12.11 ± 13.878
Positive (weak & strong intensity)	81	4.38 ± 4.238

IL: Interleukin.

Table 4 Survival analysis in the lymph node metastatic rectal cancer patients

	n	5-yr disease specific survival	P value	5-yr disease free survival	P value	5-yr local recurrence free survival	P value	5-yr distant metastasis free survival	P value
Age (yr)
Less than 60	48	60.4	0.963	51.8	0.918	60.3	0.683	57	0.483
60 or older	42	60.7		53.1		59.5		66.3
Sex
Male	47	60.3	0.742	49.2	0.528	57.4	0.903	60.3	0.760
Female	43	60.8		55.8		62.8		62.6
Differentiation
Well	46	74.9	0.060	59.3	0.333	73.8	0.008	64.7	0.459
Moderately	34	48.5		45.7		50		59.8
Poorly	10	33.3		44.4		30		55.6
T stage
T1	1	100	0.441	100	0.427	100	0.385	100	0.298
T2	8	87.5		87.5		75		87.5
T3	79	57.6		48.2		58.2		57.3
T4	2	50		50		50		100
N stage
N1a	24	82.6	0.004	73.7	0.003	74.8	0.001	77	0.015
N1b	26	59.4		55.7		69.2		68.5
N2a	16	68.8		50		68.8		56.3
N2b	24	34.2		29.3		29.2		40.8
Stage
IIIa	8	100	0.002	100	0.002	100	0.230	100	0.009
IIIb	59	64.6		54.1		80.1		63
IIIc	23	35.8		30.7		64.5		42.7
VEGF expression
Negative	26	53.1	0.801	50	0.851	73.3	0.629	64.1	0.791
Positive	64	61.9		53.5		81.1		60.5
IL-24 expression
Negative	40	59.2	0.759	50.7	0.890	60	0.496	60.7	0.849
Positive	50	34.7		53.9		59.9		61.6

VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; IL-24: Interleukin-24.