Rapid Communication
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2007; 13(32): 4345-4349
Published online Aug 28, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i32.4345
Role of serum interleukin-18 as a prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Pisit Tangkijvanich, Duangporn Thong-ngam, Varocha Mahachai, Apiradee Theamboonlers, Yong Poovorawan
Pisit Tangkijvanich, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Duangporn Thong-ngam, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Varocha Mahachai, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Apiradee Theamboonlers, Yong Poovorawan, Center of Exce-llence in Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Rajadapiseksompoj research grant, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Correspondence to: Yong Poovorawan, Professor, MD, Viral Hepatitis Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. yong.p@chula.ac.th
Telephone: +662-256-4909 Fax: +662-256-4929
Received: February 12, 2007
Revised: March 10, 2007
Accepted: March 15, 2007
Published online: August 28, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To determine whether serum interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels correlated with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: Serum IL-18, IL-6 and IL-12 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from 70 patients with HCC and 10 healthy controls.

RESULTS: Serum IL-18, IL-6 and IL-12 levels of patients with HCC were significantly higher that those of the controls. The levels of IL-18 correlated significantly with the presence of venous invasion and advanced tumor stages classified by Okuda’s criteria. Patients with high serum IL-18 levels (≥ 105 pg/mL) had a poorer survival than those with low serum IL-18 levels (< 105 pg/mL) (4 and 11 mo, respectively, P = 0.015). Multivariate analyses showed that serum IL-18 level, but not IL-6 and IL-12 levels, was a significant and independent prognostic factor of survival.

CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that serum IL-8 may a useful biological marker of tumor invasiveness and an independent prognostic factor of survival for patients with HCC. Thus, the detailed mechanisms of IL-18 involving in tumor progression should be further investigated.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Interleukin-18; Serum marker; Prognosis