Local and Systemic IL-7 Concentration in Gastrointestinal-Tract Cancers

Correlation between inflammatory cytokines and the likelihood of developing multiple types of digestive system cancers: A Mendelian randomization study

OBJECTIVE

Inflammatory cytokines have been linked to digestive system cancers, yet their exact causal connection remains uncertain. Consequently, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to gauge how inflammatory cytokines are linked to the risk of five prevalent digestive system cancers (DSCs).

METHODS

We collected genetic variation data for 41 inflammatory cytokines from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and the results data for five common diseases from the Finnish database. Our primary analytical approach involved employing the inverse-variance weighted, residual sum (IVW) method, complemented by the MR-Egger method, the weighted median method, simple mode analysis, and weighted mode analysis as supplementary analytical techniques. Furthermore, we conducted multiple sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and interleukin (IL)-18 showed a negative association with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Conversely, TRAIL was inversely linked to the risk of gastric cancer, while IL-16 exhibited a positive correlation with gastric cancer risk. Stem cell factor (SCF) acted as a protective factor against pancreatic cancer. For colorectal cancer, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were identified as risk factors. Notably, our results did not indicate a significant correlation between inflammatory cytokines and the risk of esophageal cancer.

CONCLUSION

Our research unveils potential connections between 41 inflammatory cytokines and the risk of five common DSCs through a MR analysis. These associations offer valuable insights that could aid in the development of diagnostic biomarkers and the identification of novel therapeutic targets for DSCs.

Exploring causal correlations between circulating levels of cytokines and colorectal cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization analysis

Colorectal cancer has the highest mortality rate of all digestive system diseases. Considering the debate about cytokines and biases that exist in traditional observational study designs, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the association of circulating cytokines with CRC risk. In this study, we used cytokine genetic variants from a recently published genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 14,824 European-ancestry participants. Summary-level data for colorectal cancer were obtained from genome-wide association analyses of the FinnGen consortium. In addition, we conducted independent supplementary analyses using genetic variation data of colorectal cancer and cytokines from a large public GWAS in 2021. Among 91 circulating factors, we only found IL-12B to be significantly associated with CRC risk (odds ratio [OR]: 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.42; p = .046). We used 2021 data for analysis and found that higher Interleukin-12p70 levels (IL-12p70) were revealed to have a significant positive association with CRC risk (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.13-1.43; p < 1.22 × 10-3). Moreover, CRC was suggestively correlated with an elevated level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.02-1.35; p = .026), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76-0.96; p = .005), IL-13 (OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02-1.30; p = .028), IL-10 (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01-1.49; p = .037), and IL-7 (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.02-1.39; p = .024). Our MR studies support that one cytokine IL-12 is significantly associated with CRC risk and that five cytokines VEGF, M-CSF, IL-13, IL-10, and IL-7 are associated with CRC risk.

A Mendelian randomization study on the causal association of circulating cytokines with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Circulating cytokines have been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, their causal correlation remains undetermined. This investigation uses genetic data to evaluate the mechanism that links circulating cytokines and CRC via Mendelian Randomization (MR).

METHODS

A two-sample MR evaluation was carried out to investigate the mechanism associating circulating cytokines and CRC in individuals of European ancestry. The Genome-wide association studies statistics, which are publically accessible, were used. Eligible instrumental SNPs that were significantly related to the circulating cytokines were selected. Multiple MR analysis approaches were carried out, including Simple Mode, inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, Weighted Mode, Weighted Median, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) methods.

RESULTS

The evidence supporting the association of genetically predicted circulating levels with the increased risk of CRC was revealed; these included vascular endothelial growth factor (OR = 1.352, 95% CI: 1.019-1.315, P = 0.024), interleukin-12p70 (OR = 1.273, 95% CI: 1.133-1.430, P = 4.68×10-5), interleukin-13 (OR = 1.149, 95% CI: 1.012-1.299, P = 0.028), interleukin-10 (OR = 1.230, 95% CI: 1.013-1.493, P = 0.037), and interleukin-7 (OR = 1.191, 95% CI: 1.023-1.386 P = 0.024). Additionally, MR analysis negative causal association between macrophage colony stimulating factor and CRC (OR = 0.854, 95% CI: 0.764-0.955, P = 0.005). The data from Simple Mode, Weighted Median, MR-Egger, and Weighted Mode analyses were consistent with the IVW estimates. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis indicated that the presence of no horizontal pleiotropy to bias the causal estimates.

CONCLUSION

This investigation identified a causal association between circulating cytokines levels risk of CRC and may provide a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of CRC, as well as offer promising leads for the development of novel therapeutic targets for CRC.

Interleukins (Cytokines) as Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer: Progression, Detection, and Monitoring

Cancer is the primary cause of death in economically developed countries and the second leading cause in developing countries. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Risk factors for CRC include obesity, a diet low in fruits and vegetables, physical inactivity, and smoking. CRC has a poor prognosis, and there is a critical need for new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to reduce related deaths. Recently, studies have focused more on molecular testing to guide targeted treatments for CRC patients. The most crucial feature of activated immune cells is the production and release of growth factors and cytokines that modulate the inflammatory conditions in tumor tissues. The cytokine network is valuable for the prognosis and pathogenesis of colorectal cancer as they can aid in the cost-effective and non-invasive detection of cancer. A large number of interleukins (IL) released by the immune system at various stages of CRC can act as "biomarkers". They play diverse functions in colorectal cancer, and include IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, IL-33, TNF, TGF-β, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are pro-tumorigenic genes. However, there are an inadequate number of studies in this area considering its correlation with cytokine profiles that are clinically useful in diagnosing cancer. A better understanding of cytokine levels to establish diagnostic pathways entails an understanding of cytokine interactions and the regulation of their various biochemical signaling pathways in healthy individuals. This review provides a comprehensive summary of some interleukins as immunological biomarkers of CRC.

Prognostic importance of the preoperative New-Naples prognostic score for patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The wide applicability of the Naples prognostic score (NPS) is still worthy of further study in gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to construct a New-NPS based on the differences in immunity and nutrition in patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal tumors to help obtain an individualized prediction of prognosis.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent radical gastrectomy from April 2014 to September 2016. The cutoff values of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), serum albumin (Alb), and total cholesterol (TC) were calculated by ROC curve analysis. ROC and t-ROC were used to evaluate the accuracy of the prognostic markers. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to analyze the overall survival probability. Univariate and multivariate analyses based on Cox risk regression were used to show the independent predictors. The nomogram was made by R studio. The predictive accuracy of nomogram was assessed using a calibration plot, concordance index (C-index), and decision curve.

RESULTS

A total of 737 patients were included in training cohort, 411 patients were included in validation cohort. ROC showed that the New-NPS was more suitable for predicting the prognosis of GC patients. NPS = 2 indicated a poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that CEA (P = 0.026), Borrmann type (P = 0.001), pTNM (P < 0.001), New-NPS (P < 0.001), and nerve infiltration (P = 0.035) were independent risk factors for prognosis.

CONCLUSION

The New-NPS based on the cutoff values of NLR, LMR, Alb, and TC is not only suitable for predicting prognosis but can also be combined with clinicopathological characteristics to construct a nomogram model for GC patients.

The Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Pathogenesis of Colorectal Carcinoma—Recent Findings and Review

The inflammatory process plays a significant role in the development of colon cancer (CRC). Intestinal cytokine networks are critical mediators of tissue homeostasis and inflammation but also impact carcinogenesis at all stages of the disease. Recent studies suggest that inflammation is of greater importance in the serrated pathway than in the adenoma-carcinoma pathway. Interleukins have gained the most attention due to their potential role in CRC pathogenesis and promising results of clinical trials. Malignant transformation is associated with the pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic cytokines. The harmony between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors is crucial to maintaining homeostasis. Immune cells in the tumor microenvironment modulate immune sensitivity and facilitate cancer escape from immune surveillance. Therefore, clarifying the role of underlying cytokine pathways and the effects of their modulation may be an important step to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.

Molecular pathogenesis and emerging targets of gastric adenocarcinoma

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) is a devastating disease and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This heterogeneous disease has several different classification systems that consider histological appearance and genomic alterations. Understanding the etiology of GC, including infection, hereditary conditions, and environmental factors, is of particular importance and is discussed in this review. To improve survival in GC, we also must improve our therapeutic strategies. Here, we discuss new targets that warrant further exploration.

Impact of endoscopic submucosal dissection and epithelial cell sheet engraftment on systemic cytokine dynamics in patients with oesophageal cancer

The tumour microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in cancer development, progression, and metastasis. Various cytokines are present in the TME in oesophageal cancer. Oesophageal stricture is a major complication of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for oesophageal cancer, and inflammatory cytokines are closely related to its pathogenesis. However, the cytokine crosstalk involved in the oesophageal cancer TME and post-ESD stricture has not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the comprehensive cytokine dynamics following ESD in patients with oesophageal cancer. In addition, the effect of a novel preventive technique for post-ESD stricture, autologous cell sheet engraftment, on cytokine levels was evaluated. Various pro-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic cytokines were elevated in patients with oesophageal cancer, and ESD transiently influenced cytokine concentrations. IL-1β and TNF-α, two major pro-inflammatory cytokines that induce oesophageal stricture, were significantly suppressed by cell sheet engraftment. In conclusion, this study revealed the distinct cytokine dynamics after ESD in patients with oesophageal cancer, together with the effect of autologous cell sheet engraftment on cytokine fluctuation. These results can accelerate research on the TME and therapeutic strategies for oesophageal cancer.

Immunomodulatory Effect of Lactobacillus casei in a Murine Model of Colon Carcinogenesis

We previously reported beneficial effects of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei 393 in hindering colon carcinogenesis in a 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced BALB/c mouse model of colon cancer. In the present study, we investigated the effect of preventive administration of L. casei 393 on the levels of selected pro- and anti-inflammatory circulating cytokines, as well as subpopulations of splenic T cells. The resulting experimental data on IFNγ, TNFα, IL-10, and colon histological features demonstrated that administration of L. casei 2 weeks before DMH treatment impaired the pro-inflammatory effect of DMH, while maintaining the levels of the three cytokines as well as colon histology; it also modulated splenic CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and NK T cell subpopulations. The preventive administration of L. casei to DMH-treated mice increased IL-17A synthesis and Treg percentages, further indicating a tumor-protecting role. Together, the results suggest that the colon-cancer-protective properties of L. casei 393 involve the dampening of inflammation through cytokine homeostasis and the maintenance of a healthy T cell subpopulation dynamic. For these reasons, probiotics such as L. casei may contribute to the health of the host as they promote optimal control of the immune response. Further, they may be used as prophylactic agents in combination with standard therapies against colon cancer.

Elevated levels of inflammatory plasma biomarkers are associated with risk of HIV infection

BACKGROUND

To determine if individuals, from HIV-1 serodiscordant couple cohorts from Rwanda and Zambia, who become HIV-positive have a distinct inflammatory biomarker profile compared to individuals who remain HIV-negative, we compared levels of biomarkers in plasma of HIV-negative individuals who either seroconverted (pre-infection) and became HIV-positive or remained HIV-negative (uninfected).

RESULTS

We observed that individuals in the combined cohort, as well as those in the individual country cohorts, who later became HIV-1 infected had significantly higher baseline levels of multiple inflammatory cytokines/chemokines compared to individuals who remained HIV-negative. Genital inflammation/ulceration or schistosome infections were not associated with this elevated profile. Defined levels of ITAC and IL-7 were significant predictors of later HIV acquisition in ROC predictive analyses, whereas the classical Th1 and Th2 inflammatory cytokines such as IL-12 and interferon-γ or IL-4, IL-5 and Il-13 were not.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the data show a significant association between increased plasma biomarkers linked to inflammation and immune activation and HIV acquisition and suggests that pre-existing conditions that increase systemic biomarkers represent a factor for increased risk of HIV infection.

Interleukin (IL)-7 Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

Interleukin (IL)-7 plays an important immunoregulatory role in different types of cells. Therefore, it attracts researcher's attention, but despite the fact, many aspects of its modulatory action, as well as other functionalities, are still poorly understood. The review summarizes current knowledge on the interleukin-7 and its signaling cascade in context of cancer development. Moreover, it provides a cancer-type focused description of the involvement of IL-7 in solid tumors, as well as hematological malignancies.The interleukin has been discovered as a growth factor crucial for the early lymphocyte development and supporting the growth of malignant cells in certain leukemias and lymphomas. Therefore, its targeting has been explored as a treatment modality in hematological malignancies, while the unique ability to expand lymphocyte populations selectively and without hyperinflammation has been used in experimental immunotherapies in patients with lymphopenia. Ever since the early research demonstrated a reduced growth of solid tumors in the presence of IL-7, the interleukin application in boosting up the anticancer immunity has been investigated. However, a growing body of evidence indicative of IL-7 upregulation in carcinomas, facilitating tumor growth and metastasis and aiding drug-resistance, is accumulating. It therefore becomes increasingly apparent that the response to the IL-7 stimulus strongly depends on cell type, their developmental stage, and microenvironmental context. The interleukin exerts its regulatory action mainly through phosphorylation events in JAK/STAT and PI3K/Akt pathways, while the significance of MAPK pathway seems to be limited to solid tumors. Given the unwavering interest in IL-7 application in immunotherapy, a better understanding of interleukin role, source in tumor microenvironment, and signaling pathways, as well as the identification of cells that are likely to respond should be a research priority.

Sex, Type of Surgery, and Surgical Site Infections Are Associated with Perioperative Cortisol in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Excessive endocrine response to trauma negatively affects patients’ well-being. Cortisol dynamics following robot-assisted colorectal surgery are unknown. We aimed at determining the impact of cancer pathology and surgery-related factors on baseline cortisol levels and analyzed its time-profile in colorectal cancer patients undergoing open or robot-assisted surgery. Cortisol levels were measured using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Baseline cortisol was not associated with any patient- or disease-related factors. Post-surgery cortisol increased by 36% at 8 h and returned to baseline on postoperative day three. The cortisol time profile was significantly affected by surgery type, estimated blood loss, and length of surgery. Baseline-adjusted cortisol increase was greater in females at hour 8 and in both females and patients from open surgery group at hour 24. Solely in the open surgery group, cortisol dynamics paralleled changes in interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, IL-1ra, IL-7, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α but did not correlate with changes in IL-6 or interferon (IFN)-γ at any time-point. Cortisol co-examined with C-reactive protein was predictive of surgical site infections (SSI) with high accuracy. In conclusion, patient’s sex and surgery invasiveness affect cortisol dynamics. Surgery-induced elevation can be reduced by minimally invasive robot-assisted procedures. Cortisol and C-reactive protein as SSI biomarkers might be of value in the evaluation of safety of early discharge of patients.

Biphasic Expression of Atypical Chemokine Receptor (ACKR) 2 and ACKR4 in Colorectal Neoplasms in Association with Histopathological Findings

Facilitating resolution of inflammation using atypical chemokine receptors (ACKR) as an anticancer strategy is considered but requires a deeper understanding of receptor role in carcinogenesis. We aimed at transcriptional analysis (RTqPCR) of ACKR2 and ACKR4 expression in colorectal adenoma-adenocarcinoma sequence in paired normal-neoplastic tissues from 96 polyps and 51 cancers. On average, ACKR2 was downregulated in neoplastic as compared to non-affected tissue in polyp (by 2.7-fold) and cancer (by 3.1-fold) patients. The maximal downregulation (by 8.2-fold) was observed in adenomas with the highest potential for malignancy and was gradually lessening through cancer stages I-IV, owing to increased receptor expression in tumors. On average, ACKR4 was significantly downregulated solely in adenocarcinomas (by 1.5-fold), less so in patients with lymph node metastasis, owing to a gradual decrease in ACKR4 expression among N0-N1-N2 cancers in non-affected tissue without changes in tumors. In adenomas, ACKR4 downregulation in neoplastic tissue increased with increasing potential for malignancy and contribution of villous growth pattern. ACKR4 expression increased in non-affected tissue with a concomitant decrease in pathological mucosa. In conclusion, the changes in ACKRs expression occur already in precancerous colorectal lesions, culminating in the adenomas with the highest potential for malignancy. Therefore, chemoprevention by manipulating ACKRs’ expression is worth exploration.

Integrated analysis identifies AQP9 correlates with immune infiltration and acts as a prognosticator in multiple cancers

Aquaporin 9 (AQP9), as an aquaglyceroporin, is expressed in many immune cells and plays important role in tumor initiation and progression. However, the relationship between AQP9 and tumor-infiltrating cells, and its prognostic value in cancers still require comprehensive understanding. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the correlations of AQP9 with prognosis and immune infiltration levels in diverse cancers. We detected the expression and survival data of AQP9 through Oncomine, TIMER, Kaplan–Meier Plotter and PrognoScan databases. The correlations between AQP9 and immune infiltrates were analyzed in TIMER database. Our results found that high AQP9 expression was significantly correlated with worse prognosis in breast, colon and lung cancers, while predicted better prognosis in gastric cancer. Moreover, AQP9 had significant association with various immune infiltrating cells including CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), and diverse immune gene markers in BRCA, COAD, LUAD, LUSC and STAD. AQP9 was also significantly correlated with the regulation of tumor associated macrophages (TAM). These results indicate that AQP9 can play as a significant biomarker to determine the prognosis and the immune infiltrating levels in different cancers. It might also contribute to the development of the immunotherapy in breast, colon, lung and gastric cancers.

Local and Systemic Interleukin-32 in Esophageal, Gastric, and Colorectal Cancers: Clinical and Diagnostic Significance

Little is known on clinical and diagnostic relevance of interleukin-32 in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) cancers. We determined its mRNA (n = 52) and protein (n = 63) expression in paired (tumor-normal) samples from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, with reference to cancer-associated genes, and quantified circulating interleukin-32 in 70 cancer patients and 28 controls. IL32 expression was significantly upregulated solely in ESCC, reflecting T stage in non-transformed tumor-adjacent tissue. Fold-change in IL32 and IL-32 was higher in left-sided CRC, owing to high interleukin expression in non-transformed right-sided colonic mucosa. IL32 was independently and positively associated with Ki67, HIF1A, and ACTA2 and negatively with TJP1 in tumors and with IL10Ra and BCLxL in non-transformed tumor-adjacent tissue. IL-32 protein was significantly upregulated in colorectal tumors. In ESCC, advanced stage and lymph node metastasis were associated with significant IL-32 upregulation. Circulating interleukin was significantly elevated in cancer patients, more so in ESCC and GC than CRC. As biomarker, IL-32 detected gastroesophageal cancers with 99.5% accuracy. In conclusion, IL-32 is upregulated in GIT cancers at local and systemic level, reflecting hypoxia and proliferative and invasive/metastatic capacity in tumors and immunosuppressive and antiapoptotic potential in non-transformed mucosa, while being an accurate biomarker of gastroesophageal cancers.

L-Arginine/Nitric Oxide Pathway Is Altered in Colorectal Cancer and Can Be Modulated by Novel Derivatives from Oxicam Class of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway metabolites are altered in colorectal cancer (CRC). We evaluated underlying changes in pathway enzymes in 55 paired tumor/tumor-adjacent samples and 20 normal mucosa using quantitative-PCR and assessed the impact of classic and novel oxicam analogues on enzyme expression and intracellular metabolite concentration (LC-MS/MS) in Caco-2, HCT116, and HT-29 cells. Compared to normal mucosa, ARG1, PRMT1, and PRMT5 were overexpressed in both tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue and DDAH2 solely in tumor-adjacent tissue. Tumor-adjacent tissue had higher expression of ARG1, DDAH1, and DDAH2 and lower NOS2 than patients-matched tumors. The ARG1 expression in tumors increased along with tumor grade and reflected lymph node involvement. Novel oxicam analogues with arylpiperazine moiety at the thiazine ring were more effective in downregulating DDAHs and PRMTs and upregulating ARG2 than piroxicam and meloxicam. An analogue distinguished by propylene linker between thiazine's and piperazine's nitrogen atoms and containing two fluorine substituents was the strongest inhibitor of DDAHs and PRMTs expression, while an analogue containing propylene linker but no fluorine substituents was the strongest inhibitor of ARG2 expression. Metabolic reprogramming in CRC includes overexpression of DDAHs and PRMTs in addition to ARG1 and NOS2 and is not restricted to tumor tissue but can be modulated by novel oxicam analogues.

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Accompanied by Local and Systemic Changes in L-arginine/NO Pathway

The L-arginine/NO pathway holds promise as a source of potential therapy target and biomarker; yet, its status and utility in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear. We aimed at quantifying pathway metabolites in sera from patients with ESCC (n = 61) and benign conditions (n = 62) using LC-QTOF-MS and enzyme expression in esophageal tumors and matched noncancerous samples (n = 40) using real-time PCR with reference to ESCC pathology and circulating immune/inflammatory mediators, quantified using Luminex xMAP technology. ESCC was associated with elevated systemic arginine and asymmetric dimethylarginine. Citrulline decreased and arginine bioavailability increased along with increasing ESCC advancement. Compared to adjacent tissue, tumors overexpressed ODC1, NOS2, PRMT1, and PRMT5 but had downregulated ARG1, ARG2, and DDAH1. Except for markedly higher NOS2 and lower ODC1 in tumors from M1 patients, the pathology-associated changes in enzyme expression were subtle and present also in noncancerous tissue. Both the local enzyme expression level and systemic metabolite concentration were related to circulating inflammatory and immune mediators, particularly those associated with eosinophils and those promoting viability and self-renewal of cancer stem cells. Metabolic reprogramming in ESCC manifests itself by the altered L-arginine/NO pathway. Upregulation of PRMTs in addition to NOS2 and ODC1 and the pathway link with stemness-promoting cytokines warrants further investigation.

Distinct Local and Systemic Molecular Signatures in the Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: Possible Therapy Targets and Biomarkers for Gastric Cancer

Gastric (GC) and esophageal (EC) cancers are highly lethal. Better understanding of molecular abnormalities is needed for new therapeutic targets and biomarkers to be found. Expression of 18 cancer-related genes in 31 paired normal-tumor samples was quantified by reversely-transcribed quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) and systemic concentration of 27 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors in 195 individuals was determined using Luminex xMAP technology. Only Ki67, CLDN2, and BCLxL were altered in GC while Ki67, CDKN1A, ODC1, SLC2A1, HIF1A, VEGFA, NOS2, CCL2, PTGS2, IL10, IL10Ra, and ACTA2 were changed in EC. The relatively unaltered molecular GC landscape resulted from high expression of BCLxL, CDKN1A, BCL2, Ki67, HIF1A, VEGFA, ACTA2, TJP1, CLDN2, IL7Ra, ODC1, PTGS2, and CCL2 in non-cancerous tissue. The NOS2 expression and IL-4, IL-9, FGF2, and RANTES secretion were higher in cardiac than non-cardiac GC. Four-cytokine panels (interleukin (IL)-1β/IL-1ra/IL-6/RANTES or IL-1β/IL-6/IL-4/IL-13) differentiated GC from benign conditions with 87–89% accuracy. Our results showed increased proliferative, survival, inflammatory and angiogenic capacity in gastric tumor-surrounding tissue, what might contribute to GC aggressiveness and facilitate cancer recurrence. Further studies are needed to determine the CLDN2 and NOS2 suitability as candidate molecular targets in GC and cardiac GC, respectively, and discern the role of CLDN2 or to verify IL-1β/IL-1ra/IL-6/RANTES or IL-1β/IL-6/IL-4/IL-13 usefulness as differential biomarkers.

Interleukins 4 and 13 and Their Receptors Are Differently Expressed in Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers, Depending on the Anatomical Site and Disease Advancement, and Improve Colon Cancer Cell Viability and Motility

Immunosuppressive interleukins (IL)-4 and 13 may directly promote cancer but neither their status nor role in gastrointestinal tract is clarified. We aim at quantifying ILs and their receptors in paired normal-tumor samples (n = 49/51) and sera (n = 263), using immunoassays and RTqPCR, and screening for their effect on colonic cancer cells. Both ILs were elevated locally at protein level in all cancers but only IL13 transcripts in colon were upregulated. Interleukin and their receptor expression reflected cancer pathology to varying degrees, with the association frequently inverse and manifested in non-cancerous tissue. Positive correlation with cancer-promoting genes BCL2, BCLxL, HIF1A, VEGFA, ACTA2, CCL2, PTGS2, and CDKN1A, but not Ki67, was demonstrated, particularly for ILs' receptors. Circulating IL-4 was elevated in all, while IL-13 only in colorectal or esophageal cancers, reflecting their advancement. IL4Ra and IL13Ra1 transcripts were downregulated by hypoxia and, in Caco-2, also by IL-4. Interleukin stimulation slightly improved colonic cancer cell viability, weakly upregulating BCL2 and Ki67 in HCT116 and HT-29. It affected cell motility more markedly and was consistently accompanied by upregulation of claudin-2. Gastrointestinal tract cancers are associated with IL-4 and IL-13 upregulation, which may facilitate cancer growth. Targeting both interleukins as an antineoplastic strategy warrants further investigation.