Prognostic value of circulating cytokines for stage III colon cancer

Postoperative serum interleukin-6 levels correlate with survival in stage I-III colorectal cancer

AIMS

The preoperative serum levels of inflammatory mediators, including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), have been demonstrated to be correlated with patient outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the prognostic role of these levels has been less well-studied in postoperative settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 122 stage I-III CRC patients were retrospectively enrolled. Serum levels of CRP, PCT and IL-6 were measured after surgery, and their prognostic value was evaluated. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine the differences in disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients with different levels of these mediators, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the risk factors.

RESULTS

In contrast to CRP and PCT, only the level of IL-6 was significant in predicting DFS (P = 0.01) but not OS (P = 0.07). A total of 66.39% (81/122) of patients were assigned to the low IL-6 group and no significant differences were found in the collected clinicopathological parameters among the low or high IL-6 subgroups. The level of IL-6 was negatively correlated with postoperative (1 w) (R=-0.24, P = 0.02) absolute lymphocyte counts. Patients with low levels of IL-6 had better DFS (log rank = 6.10, P = 0.01) but not OS (log rank = 2.28, P = 0.13). Finally, the level of IL-6 was an independent risk factor for DFS (HR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.03-3.15, P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to CRP and PCT, the level of IL-6 was observed to be the only significant factor in predicting the prognosis of stage I-III CRC patients after surgery, and a low level of IL-6 was associated with good DFS.

Comparison of short-term surgical outcomes and long-term survival between emergency and elective surgery for colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to summarize relevant data from previous reports and perform a meta-analysis to compare short-term surgical outcomes and long-term oncological outcomes between emergency and elective surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase databases, and relevant data were extracted. Postoperative morbidity, hospital mortality within 30 days, postoperative recovery, overall survival (OS), and relapse-free survival (RFS) were compared using a fixed or random-effect model.

RESULTS

A total of 28 studies involving 353,686 participants were enrolled for this systematic review and meta-analysis, and 23.5% (83,054/353,686) of CRC patients underwent emergency surgery. The incidence of emergency presentations in CRC patients ranged from 2.7 to 38.8%. The lymph node yield of emergency surgery was comparable to that of elective surgery (WMD:0.70, 95%CI: - 0.74,2.14, P = 0.340; I² = 80.6%). Emergency surgery had a higher risk of postoperative complications (OR:1.83, 95%CI:1.62-2.07, P < 0.001; I² = 10.6%) and hospital mortality within 30 days (OR:4.62, 95%CI:4.18-5.10, P < 0.001; I² = 42.9%) than elective surgery for CRC. In terms of long-term oncological outcomes, emergency surgery was significantly associated with poorer RFS (HR: 1.51, 95%CI:1.24-1.83, P < 0.001; I² = 58.9%) and OS(HR:1.60, 95%CI: 1.47-1.73, P < 0.001; I² = 63.4%) of CRC patients. In addition, the subgroup analysis for colon cancer patients revealed a pooled HR of 1.73 for OS (95%CI:1.52-1.96, P < 0.001), without the evidence of significant heterogeneity (I² = 21.2%).

CONCLUSION

Emergency surgery for CRC had an adverse impact on short-term surgical outcomes and long-term survival. A focus on early screening programs and health education was warranted to reduce emergency presentations of CRC patients.

Plasma metabolomics, lipidomics and cytokinomics profiling predict disease recurrence in metastatic colorectal cancer patients undergoing liver resection

Purpose

In metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients (pts), treatment strategies integrating liver resection with induction chemotherapy offer better 5-year survival rates than chemotherapy alone. However, liver resection is a complex and costly procedure, and recurrence occurs in almost 2/3rds of pts, suggesting the need to identify those at higher risk. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether the integration of plasma metabolomics and lipidomics combined with the multiplex analysis of a large panel of plasma cytokines can be used to predict the risk of relapse and other patient outcomes after liver surgery, beyond or in combination with clinical morphovolumetric criteria.

Experimental design

Peripheral blood metabolomics and lipidomics were performed by 600 MHz NMR spectroscopy on plasma from 30 unresectable mCRC pts treated with bevacizumab plus oxaliplatin-based regimens within the Obelics trial (NCT01718873) and subdivided into responder (R) and non-R (NR) according to 1-year disease-free survival (DFS): ≥ 1-year (R, n = 12) and < 1-year (NR, n = 18). A large panel of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors was evaluated on the same plasma using Luminex xMAP-based multiplex bead-based immunoassay technology. A multiple biomarkers model was built using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier.

Results

Sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) and loading plots obtained by analyzing metabolomics profiles of samples collected at the time of response evaluation when resectability was established showed significantly different levels of metabolites between the two groups. Two metabolites, 3-hydroxybutyrate and histidine, significantly predicted DFS and overall survival. Lipidomics analysis confirmed clear differences between the R and NR pts, indicating a statistically significant increase in lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids) in NR pts, reflecting a nonspecific inflammatory response. Indeed, a significant increase in proinflammatory cytokines was demonstrated in NR pts plasma. Finally, a multiple biomarkers model based on the combination of presurgery plasma levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides and IL-6 was able to correctly classify patients by their DFS with good accuracy.

Conclusion

Overall, this exploratory study suggests the potential of these combined biomarker approaches to predict outcomes in mCRC patients who are candidates for liver metastasis resection after induction treatment for defining personalized management and treatment strategies.

Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers as Surrogate Markers for Stage in Colon Cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate whether the systemic inflammatory parameters currently in use in staging the disease can be used as biomarker tests operated colon cancer patients. Neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, platelet, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil/monocyte ratio (NMR), CRP, albumin, lymphocyte/CRP ratio, CRP/albumin ratio, and neutrophil/albumin ratio as systemic inflammatory biomarkers and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were evaluated.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 592 patients. Patients with colon cancer in the cohort were divided into 2 subgroups: Tumor, nodes, metastases (TNM) stage 0, TNM stage 1, and TNM stage 2; early stage (n: 332) and TNM stage 3 and TNM stage 4; late stage (n: 260) colon cancer patients.

RESULTS

LDH (P < .001), NLR (P < .001), PLR (P < .05), CRP/albumin (P < .01), and neutrophil/albumin (P < .01) were significantly higher, while monocyte count (P < .05) and PNI (P < .01) were found to be significantly lower in late stage colon cancer patients than in early stage colon cancer patients. Moderate negative correlation was found between the PNI and the neutrophil/albumin ratio in late stage colon cancer patients (r: -.568, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that high serum LDH, NLR, PLR, CRP/albumin, and neutrophil/albumin may be useful predictive markers for advanced stage in colon cancer. According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis results, CRP/albumin ratio can be used to discriminate early from late stage. Preoperative low monocyte count and PNI are associated with postoperative staging patients with colon cancer.

Serum PlGF and EGF are independent prognostic markers in non-metastatic colorectal cancer

The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of circulating angiogenic cytokines in non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Preoperative serum samples of a training (TC) (n = 219) and a validation cohort (VC) (n = 168) were analyzed via ELISA to determine PlGF, EGF, VEGF, Ang1, PDGF-A, PDGF-B, IL-8 and bFGF levels. In addition, survival was correlated with PlGF and EGF expression measured by microarray and RNAseq in two publicly available, independent cohorts (n = 550 and n = 463, respectively). Prognostic values for overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were determined using uni- and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses. Elevated PlGF is predictive for impaired OS (TC: HR 1.056; p = 0.046; VC: HR 1.093; p = 0.001) and DFS (TC: HR 1.052; p = 0.029; VC: HR 1.091; p = 0.009). Conversely, elevated EGF is associated with favorable DFS (TC: HR 0.998; p = 0.045; VC: HR 0.998; p = 0.018) but not OS (TC: p = 0.201; VC: p = 0.453). None of the other angiogenic cytokines correlated with prognosis. The prognostic value of PlGF (OS + DFS) and EGF (DFS) was confirmed in both independent retrospective cohorts. Serum PlGF and EGF may serve as prognostic markers in non-metastatic CRC.

Obesity-Induced TNFα and IL-6 Signaling: The Missing Link between Obesity and Inflammation-Driven Liver and Colorectal Cancers

Obesity promotes the development of numerous cancers, such as liver and colorectal cancers, which is at least partly due to obesity-induced, chronic, low-grade inflammation. In particular, the recruitment and activation of immune cell subsets in the white adipose tissue systemically increase proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). These proinflammatory cytokines not only impair insulin action in metabolic tissues, but also favor cancer development. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on how obesity affects inflammatory TNFα and IL-6 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancers.

Systematic literature review of IL-6 as a biomarker or treatment target in patients with gastric, bile duct, pancreatic and colorectal cancer

Gastrointestinal cancer (GI) is a major health problem. Patients with gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, bile duct and gall bladder cancer often have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and are generally difficult to cure, resulting in a dismal prognosis for most patients. Inflammation plays an important role in the development and growth of cancer, which has led to a growing interest in the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6). The aim of the present review was to evaluate the clinical use of IL-6 as a biomarker or therapeutic target in patients with GI cancer. We did a systematic review of studies (1993-2018), to assess the clinical use of IL-6 as a diagnostic, prognostic or predictive tumor biomarker or as a potential therapeutic target. This review includes 48 studies and 5316 patients. Circulating IL-6 levels appear to be an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with GI cancer, with high IL-6 levels associated with short overall survival (OS). The results for colorectal cancer were too ambiguous to give conclusive results. IL-6 seemed to be a marker for some of the clinical characteristics of GI cancer, and may have a role in the diagnostic workup in general practice. No published studies have examined the use of IL-6 as a therapeutic target in pancreatic, gastric, bile duct or colorectal cancer. In conclusion, high circulating IL-6 was associated with short OS in most studies in GI cancer patients. Whether inhibition of IL-6 would decrease GI cancer symptoms and increase quality of life is unknown.

Emergent Colectomy Is Independently Associated with Decreased Long-Term Overall Survival in Colon Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term overall survival (OS) of colon cancer patients who underwent emergent resection versus patients who were resected electively.

METHODS

The 2006-2012 National Cancer Data Base was queried for colon cancer patients who underwent surgical resection. Emergent resection was defined as resection within 24 h of diagnosis. A mixed-effects logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of emergent resection on 30- and 90-day mortality. A propensity score-matched mixed-effects Cox proportional-hazards model was used to estimate the effect of emergent resection on 5-year OS.

RESULTS

Two hundred fourteen thousand one hundred seventy-four patients met inclusion criteria, 30% of the cohort had an emergent resection. After controlling for patient and hospital factors, pathological stage, lymph node yield, margin status, and adjuvant chemotherapy, emergent resection was associated with increased odds of 30-day mortality (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.60, 1.78) and hazard of death at 5 years (HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.09, 1.15) compared to elective resections.

CONCLUSION

Emergent resection for colon cancer is independently associated with poor short-term outcomes and decreased 5-year OS compared to elective resection. With 30% of cases in this study emergent, these findings underlie the importance of adherence to colon cancer screening guidelines to limit the need for emergent resections.

Prognostic role of serum concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: results from the ITACa trial

Serum levels of C-reactive protein are (CRP) higher in patients with neoplastic conditions and numerous studies have been performed to clarify the etiologic and prognostic role of the high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) in cancer. Our study was conducted on patients enrolled in the prospective randomized “Italian Trial in Advanced Colorectal Cancer (ITACa)” to assess hs-CRP levels and their impact on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Serum samples from 132 ITACa patients were collected at baseline and 2 months after starting first-line chemotherapy. The supernatant was immediately transferred to cryovials and stored at −80°C. After thawing, hs-CRP was measured with the Cobas c501 analyzer. High levels of hs-CRP (≥ 13.1 mg/L) were associated with poorer median PFS (p < 0.0001) and OS (p < 0.0001) than low hs-CRP levels (< 13.1 mg/L). hs-CRP values in 107 patients were evaluated again after 2 months of therapy, revealing that patients with low hs-CRP levels in both baseline and second serum samples had the best median PFS and OS. Our study confirms the prognostic value of hs-CRP in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

Local and systemic Th17 immune response associated with advanced stage colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how the immunologic microenvironment changes during tumor progression and metastatic spread. Recently, murine models have shown the T-helper 17 (Th17) pathway to play an important role in promoting colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to compare cytokine profiles in the tumor microenvironment of CRC between local disease (stages I/II) and advanced disease (stages III/IV), and to determine whether these changes were manifest in the systemic circulation of patients with advanced disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Serum and tissue cytokine profiles were assayed among patients with documented adenocarcinoma before surgical resection at a single institution from September 2014 to February 2015. Using the Bio-Plex Pro Human Th17 Cytokine Assay Kit (Bio-Rad Laboratories), the concentrations of multiple cytokines were determined. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between TNM staging and cytokine levels.

RESULTS

A total of 33 patients with documented adenocarcinoma were included. None of the patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. American Joint Commission on Cancer TNM classification was used. Advanced disease was associated with elevated tumor levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-17A, and IL-17F, and only stage IV showed elevated systemic levels of Th17-associated cytokines IL-17F, IL-23, and IL-25.

CONCLUSIONS

The Th17 pathway likely has important mechanistic implications in human CRC. Metastatic disease was associated with elevated Th17-associated cytokines both in colonic tissue and systemically. These changes in systemic expression of Th17-associated cytokines could establish novel pathways for CRC and warrant further investigation.

Blood-based markers of efficacy and resistance to cetuximab treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer: results from CALGB 80203 (Alliance)

Circulating protein markers were assessed in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with cetuximab in CALGB 80203 to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Patients with locally advanced or metastatic CRC received FOLFOX or FOLFIRI chemotherapy (chemo) or chemo in combination with cetuximab. Baseline plasma samples from 152 patients were analyzed for six candidate markers [epidermal growth factor (EGF), heparin‐binding EGF (HBEGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), HER2, HER3, and CD73]. Analyte levels were associated with survival endpoints using univariate Cox proportional hazards models. Predictive markers were identified using a treatment‐by‐marker interaction term in the Cox model. Plasma levels of EGF, HBEGF, HER3, and CD73 were prognostic for overall survival (OS) across all patients (KRAS mutant and wild‐type). High levels of EGF predicted for lack of OS benefit from cetuximab in KRAS wild‐type (WT) patients (chemo HR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.74–1.29; chemo+cetuximab HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.05–2.25; interaction P = 0.045) and benefit from cetuximab in KRAS mutant patients (chemo HR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.02–2.92; chemo+cetuximab HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.67–1.21; interaction P = 0.026). Across all patients, higher HER3 levels were associated with significant OS benefit from cetuximab treatment (chemo HR = 4.82, 95% CI = 1.68–13.84; chemo+cetuximab HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.31–2.95; interaction P = 0.046). CD73 was also identified as predictive of OS benefit in KRASWT patients (chemo HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 0.88–1.84; chemo+cetuximab HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.32–1.13; interaction P = 0.049). Although these results are preliminary, and confirmatory studies are necessary before clinical application, the data suggest that HER3 and CD73 may play important roles in the biological response to cetuximab.

High-fat Diet Accelerates Intestinal Tumorigenesis Through Disrupting Intestinal Cell Membrane Integrity

Background:

Excess energy supply induces chronic low-grade inflammation in association with oxidative stress in various tissues including intestinal epithelium. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of high-fat diet (HFD) on intestinal cell membrane integrity and intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc^Min/+ mice.

Methods:

Mice were fed with either normal diet (ND) or HFD for 12 weeks. The number of intestinal tumors were counted and biomarkers of endotoxemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation were determined. Changes in intestinal integrity was measured by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran penetration and membrane gap junction protein expression.

Results:

HFD group had significantly higher number of tumors compared to ND group (P < 0.05). Blood total antioxidant capacity was lower in HFD group, while colonic 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine level, a marker of oxidative damage, was higher in HFD group compared to that of ND group (P < 0.05). The penetration of FITC-dextran was substantially increased in HFD group (P < 0.05) while the expressions of membrane gap junction proteins including zonula occludens-1, claudin-1, and occludin were lower in HFD group (P < 0.05) compared to those in ND group. Serum concentration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor (CD14) and colonic toll-like receptor 4 (a LPS receptor) mRNA expression were significantly higher in HFD group than in ND group (P < 0.05), suggesting that significant endotoxemia may occur in HFD group due to the increased membrane permeability. Serum interleukin-6 concentration and myeloperoxidase activity were also higher in HFD group compared to those of ND group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

HFD increases oxidative stress disrupting intestinal gap junction proteins, thereby accelerating membrane permeability endotoxemia, inflammation, and intestinal tumorigenesis.

Prognostic value of C-reactive protein in patients with colorectal cancer: Meta-analysis

AIM: To evaluate the association between prognosis and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with colorectal cancer.

METHODS: We systematically searched the relevant studies assessing prognostic value of C-reactive protein in patients with colorectal cancer in PubMed and Embase database (up to May 2015). This meta-analysis was completed with hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) as effect measures, using Stata12.0 software. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

RESULTS: Twenty-one eligible studies were included in the present meta-analysis, including 4242 patients with colorectal cancer. Our results showed that elevated CRP was associated with poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer (overall survival: HR = 1.89, 95%CI: 1.52-2.35, P < 0.001; cancer-specific survival: HR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.42-3.04, P < 0.001; disease-free survival: HR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.25-1.67, P < 0.001). The subgroup analyses based on the sampling time, sample size and study region obtained similar results. Moreover, sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of our results.

CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis indicates that CRP is significantly associated with a poor prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer.

Predictive Role of Functional Visceral Fat Activity Assessed by Preoperative F-18 FDG PET/CT for Regional Lymph Node or Distant Metastasis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Objectives

To investigate the role of functional visceral fat activity assessed by preoperative F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) in colorectal cancer (CRC) for predicting regional lymph node (LN) or distant metastasis.

Method

We evaluated 131 patients with newly diagnosed CRC. They all underwent pre-operative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and surgery. Functional fat activity was measured by maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) using ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. Functional visceral fat activity was measured by SUVmax of visceral fat/SUVmax of subcutaneous fat (V/S) ratio. Mann-Whitney U test, χ² test, Fisher’s exact test, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, Spearrman’s correlation coefficient, and uni- and multivariate logistic regression statistical analyses were done.

Results

Patients with higher V/S ratio displayed a significantly higher rate of regional LN (p = 0.004) and distant metastasis (p<0.001). In addition, V/S ratio was the only factor that was significantly associated with distant metastasis. An optimal cut-off V/S ratio of 1.88 was proposed for predicting distant metastasis with a sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 78.8% (area under the curve: 0.86; p<0.0001)

Conclusion

Functional visceral fat activity is significantly associated with distant metastasis in CRC patients. Furthermore, V/S ratio can be useful as a complementary factor in predicting distant metastasis.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Serum Interleukin-6 in Colorectal Cancer

The application of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been evaluated in many studies, whereas the results were contradictive.The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate this issue.An original study was conducted to explore the diagnostic value of serum IL-6 in CRC. Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases were searched for eligible studies.For diagnostic meta-analysis, aggregate data (AD) and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses were both adopted. The sensitivity and specificity were pooled and a summary receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed. For prognostic meta-analysis, study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) of IL-6 for survival were summarized. Secondary analysis of survival data was performed to synthesize the Kaplan-Meier curves.Total 17 studies (including our study) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) of serum IL-6 were 0.72 (95% CI: 0.46-0.88), 0.74 (95% CI: 0.56-0.86), and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75-0.82) in CRC diagnosis, respectively. Further, IPD meta-analysis strengthened the diagnostic value of serum IL-6 (the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.794, 0.606, and 0.839, respectively). For prognostic analysis, the high serum level of IL-6 was inversely associated with overall survival (OS) (pooled HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.42-2.19, P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (pooled HR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.76-5.01, P < 0.001). The synthesized Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that CRC patients with higher serum IL-6 level had a worse OS (P = 0.0027) and DFS (P < 0.001), which further support the prognostic value of serum IL-6 in CRC patients.The present study confirmed that serum IL-6 may be a potential biomarker for CRC diagnosis, and the high serum IL-6 level was associated with poor prognosis for both CRC overall survival and disease-free survival. The study has been registered in an international registry of systematic reviews PROSPERO (CRD42013006485).

C-Reactive Protein Is an Important Biomarker for Prognosis Tumor Recurrence and Treatment Response in Adult Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

A systematic literature review was done to determine the relationship between elevated CRP and prognosis in people with solid tumors. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a serum acute phase reactant and a well-established inflammatory marker. We also examined the role of CRP to predict treatment response and tumor recurrence.

METHODS

MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms were used to search multiple electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EBM-Cochrane). Two independent reviewers selected research papers. We also included a quality Assessment (QA) score. Reports with QA scores <50% were excluded. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) methodology was utilized for this review (S1 PRISMA Checklist).

RESULTS

271 articles were identified for final review. There were 45% prospective studies and 52% retrospective. 264 had intermediate QA score (≥50% but <80%); Seven were adequate (80% -100%); A high CRP was predictive of prognosis in 90% (245/271) of studies-80% of the 245 studies by multivariate analysis, 20% by univariate analysis. Many (52%) of the articles were about gastrointestinal malignancies (GI) or kidney malignancies. A high CRP was prognostic in 90% (127 of 141) of the reports in those groups of tumors. CRP was also prognostic in most reports in other solid tumors primary sites.

CONCLUSIONS

A high CRP was associated with higher mortality in 90% of reports in people with solid tumors primary sites. This was particularly notable in GI malignancies and kidney malignancies. In other solid tumors (lung, pancreas, hepatocellular cancer, and bladder) an elevated CRP also predicted prognosis. In addition there is also evidence to support the use of CRP to help decide treatment response and identify tumor recurrence. Better designed large scale studies should be conducted to examine these issues more comprehensively.

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of serum interleukin-6 expression in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays an important role in human colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, the exact clinical and prognostic significance of IL-6 in CRC is still unclear. Here, we conducted this meta-analysis to explore this issue in detail.

Methods

A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the association between serum IL-6 expression and clinical outcomes in articles published up to June 2015. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the association between serum IL-6 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of CRC. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI was used to quantify the predictive value of IL-6 on CRC prognosis.

Results

Fourteen studies comprising 1,245 patients were included. Analysis of these data showed that serum IL-6 expression was highly correlated with poor 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (HR =0.43, 95% CI: 0.31–0.59, P=0.755). Simultaneously, we also found that serum IL-6 expression was associated with certain clinical parameters of CRC, such as tumor invasion (T category: T0–T2, T3–T4) (WMD =3.15, 95% CI: 1.92–4.39, P=0.816), distant metastasis (M category: M0, M1) (WMD =4.69, 95% CI: 3.33–6.06, P=0.377), and tumor stage (I–II, III–IV) (WMD =2.65, 95% CI: 1.09–4.21, P=0.066).

Conclusion

A high serum IL-6 expression is associated with adverse OS in CRC. The IL-6 expression can be an important supplement in establishing prognostic score for clinical decision.

Lack of significant association between serum inflammatory cytokine profiles and the presence of colorectal adenoma

Background

Inflammatory cytokines in the colonic microenvironment have been shown to increase with advance colorectal cancer disease state. However, the contribution of inflammatory cytokines to pre-malignant disease, such as the formation of adenomas, is unclear.

Methods

Using the Milliplex® MAP Human Cytokine/ Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel Immunoassay, serum cytokine and chemokine profiles were assayed among participants without an adenoma (n = 97) and those with an adenoma (n = 97) enrolled in the NCI-funded Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Colon Study. The concentrations of interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-12(p70), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β) were determined. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between adenoma prevalence and cytokine levels.

Results

The presence of colorectal adenomas was not associated with significant increases in the systemic levels of proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) or T-cell polarizing (IL-12, IL-2, IL-10, IL-4, IL-17, IFN-γ) cytokines. Furthermore, MCP-1 and RANTES levels were equivalent in the serum of study participants with and without adenomas.

Conclusions

These findings suggest colorectal adenoma prevalence may not be associated with significant alterations in systemic inflammation.

Is C-reactive protein useful in prognostication for colorectal cancer? A systematic review

AIM

With the advent of several different therapeutic strategies to manage the different stages of colorectal cancer, it would be beneficial to allow substratification of patients into groups who are most likely to benefit from costly interventions. The purpose of this review is to analyse the evidence from several retrospective studies examining the prognostic significance of C-reactive protein (CRP).

METHOD

A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Google Scholar databases to identify studies that analysed CRP and its prognostic significance in all stages of operable colorectal cancer. The primary end-points of interest were overall survival and disease-free survival.

RESULTS

In all, 205 studies were identified by the search. Twelve involving 1705 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included. Three of the included studies including 305 patients considered Stage IV colorectal cancer and the impact of CRP on survival. Overall survival and disease-free survival were shorter in the presence of an elevated preoperative CRP in local and advanced colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSION

CRP may be useful for prognosis in patients with primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, but currently there is insufficient evidence to justify its routine use. Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to validate its role in substratification of patients for consideration of (neo)adjuvant therapies.

Elevated pre-treatment levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein as a potential prognosticator in patients with colorectal cancer

Elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) have been described as a prognostic factor in various types of human malignancy. In the present study, the prognostic potency of CRP was validated for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in order to guide patient management and define high-risk populations for follow-up or for therapeutic purposes. The association between the high sensitivity-CRP (hs-CRP) levels of a total of 123 patients with CRC and their clinicopathological characteristics was explored. Subsequently, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the survival impact of pre-treatment hs-CRP levels in this cohort study. Statistically significant correlations between the serum levels of hs-CRP and lymph node and distant metastasis (P<0.001 and P=0.012, respectively), vascular and perineural invasion (P<0.001 and P<0.001), grades (P=0.022) and clinical stages (P=0.001), but not age and gender (P=0.616 and 0.676, respectively), were found. The five-year survival rate of patients with elevated (>5.0 mg/l) hs-CRP levels was demonstrated to be significantly less than that of those in the normal group (≥5.0 mg/l) by applying the Kaplan-Meier method (13.3 versus 57.0%, log-rank test P<0.001). Furthermore, following identification as a prognostic factor through using univariate analysis, high levels of hs-CRP (P<0.001) were validated as an independent prognosticator in CRC in the present study through using multivariate analysis. Pre-treatment serum CRP levels were associated with advanced and progressed CRC patients, therefore these levels may serve as a potential prognostic marker for CRC patients.

Linking obesity to colorectal cancer: recent insights into plausible biological mechanisms

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review will examine the recent scientific literature on the mechanisms that are thought to link obesity to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk.

RECENT FINDINGS

Obesity has emerged as a leading environmental risk factor for the development of CRC. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have not yet been fully elucidated. Recent literature has focused on inflammatory processes, adipokines, and estrogen. Obesity-enhanced inflammation is largely orchestrated by increases in adipose tissue macrophages leading to the secretion of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and interleukin-6, all of which are linked to CRC. Adiponectin is decreased with obesity and has been reported to be negatively associated with CRC, whereas leptin, which is increased, is positively associated with the disease. Estrogen has been shown to influence CRC, although its role remains controversial; some studies have implicated estrogen as being protective, whereas others have suggested it to be a risk factor. We highlight the most important recent advances that have been made on the aforementioned mechanisms that are thought to link obesity to CRC.

SUMMARY

A better understanding of the mechanisms linking obesity to CRC risk is necessary for the design of effective treatment approaches in future clinical trials.

High CRP values predict poor survival in patients with penile cancer

BACKGROUND

High levels of circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) have recently been linked to poor clinical outcome in various malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the preoperative serum CRP level in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis included 79 penile cancer patients with information about their serum CRP value prior to surgery who underwent either radical or partial penectomy at two German high-volume centers (Ulm University Medical Center and Hannover Medical School) between 1990 and 2010. They had a median (mean) follow-up of 23 (32) months.

RESULTS

A significantly elevated CRP level (>15 vs. ≤ 15 mg/l) was found more often in patients with an advanced tumor stage (≥pT2) (38.9 vs. 11.6%, p=0.007) and in those with nodal disease at diagnosis (50.0 vs. 14.6%, p=0.007). However, high CRP levels were not associated with tumor differentiation (p=0.53). The Kaplan-Meier 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate was 38.9% for patients with preoperative CRP levels above 15 mg/l and 84.3% for those with lower levels (p=0.001). Applying multivariate analysis and focusing on the subgroup of patients without metastasis at the time of penile surgery, both advanced local tumor stage (≥pT2; HR 8.8, p=0.041) and an elevated CRP value (>15 mg/l; HR 3.3, p=0.043) were identified as independent predictors of poor clinical outcome in patients with penile cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

A high preoperative serum CRP level was associated with poor survival in patients with penile cancer. If larger patient populations confirm its prognostic value, its routine use could enable better risk stratification and risk-adjusted follow-up of patients with SCC of the penis.