This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Enewold, L. Articles by Harris, C. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Enewold, L. Articles by Harris, C. C.

Serum Concentrations of Cytokines and Lung Cancer Survival in African Americans and Caucasians

¹ Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia; ² Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland; and ³ Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina

Requests for reprints: Curtis C. Harris, Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 37 Convent Drive, Building 37, Room 3068, Bethesda, MD 20892-4258. Phone: 301-496-2048; Fax: 301-496-0497. E-mail: Curtis_Harris{at}nih.gov

Accumulating evidence suggests a role for inflammation in the development and progression of cancer. Our group recently identified a cytokine gene signature in lung tissue associated with lung cancer prognosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that concentrations of circulating cytokines in serum may be associated with lung cancer survival. Ten serum cytokines, namely, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon (IFN)-, and tumor necrosis factor-, were assessed in 353 non–small cell lung cancer cases from a case-control study of lung cancer in the greater Baltimore, Maryland area. Cytokines were measured using an ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. IL-6 serum concentrations (4.0 pg/mL) were associated with significantly poorer survival in both African Americans [hazard ratio (HR), 2.71; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26-5.80] and Caucasians (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.22-2.40). IL-10 (HR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.33-5.15) and IL-12 (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.14-3.44) were associated with lung cancer survival only in African Americans. Some evidence for an association of tumor necrosis factor- levels with survival in Caucasians was observed, although these results were not significant. These hypothesis-generating findings indicate that selected serum cytokine concentrations are associated with lung cancer survival, and indicate that further research is warranted to better understand the mechanistic underpinnings of these associations. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(1):215–22)