Characterization of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and high serum interleukin-6 levels.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

High serum level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) is associated with high degree of tumor progression and systemic weakness. Anti-IL-6 therapy possibly improves the deterioration of clinical characteristics in patients with high IL-6 level. However, IL-6-related factors in patients with treatment-naive advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) have not been established. The goal of this study was to identify IL-6-related factors in patients with advanced PC who were scheduled to undergo first-line chemotherapy.

METHODS:

Patients with treatment-naive advanced PC were eligible for inclusion in this study. Patients who did not receive first-line chemotherapy were excluded. Serum IL-6 levels and clinical parameters were prospectively recorded. Analyses were performed to identify risk factors for high IL-6 levels.

RESULTS:

Eighty patients were analyzed. IL-6-related factors were advanced age (P < 0.01), the presence of liver metastasis (P < 0.01), the large volume of liver metastasis (P < 0.01), severe fatigue (P = 0.02), high carcinoembryonic antigen levels (P = 0.02), anemia (P < 0.01), and high C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.02) in multivariate analyses. Decreased skeletal muscle mass tended to be associated with high IL-6 levels.

CONCLUSIONS:

High serum IL-6 was related to advanced age, the presence of hepatic metastasis, large tumor burden in liver, severe fatigue, high carcinoembryonic antigen, high C-reactive protein, and anemia in patients with treatment-naive advanced PC.

• Authors: Tomofumi Miura, Shuichi Mitsunaga, Masafumi Ikeda, Satoshi Shimizu, Izumi Ohno, Hideaki Takahashi, Junji Furuse, Masatoshi Inagaki, Sayumi Higashi, Hiroyuki Kato, Kimio Terao, Atsushi Ochiai
• Journal: Pancreas (Pancreas) Vol. 44 Issue 5 Pg. 756-63 (Jul 2015) ISSN: 1536-4828 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25931255 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Carcinoembryonic Antigen
• IL6 protein, human
• Interleukin-6
• C-Reactive Protein

Topics

• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Anemia (blood, etiology)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Body Composition
• C-Reactive Protein (analysis)
• Cachexia (blood, etiology)
• Carcinoembryonic Antigen (analysis)
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Fatigue (blood, etiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Interleukin-6 (blood)
• Liver Neoplasms (blood, secondary)
• Logistic Models
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Pancreatic Neoplasms (blood, complications, drug therapy, pathology)
• Prognosis
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Tumor Burden
• Up-Regulation