Interleukin-24 is correlated with differentiation and lymph node numbers in rectal cancer

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG 2011-03, Vol.17 (9), p.1167-1173
• Main Authors: Choi, Youngmin, Roh, Mee-Sook, Hong, Young-Seoub, Lee, Hyung-Sik, Hur, Won-Joo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Brief; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Female; Humans; Interleukins - metabolism; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Metastasis - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Rectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Rectal Neoplasms - pathology; Retrospective Studies; Survival Rate; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism; VEGF; 免疫组化染色; 分化程度; 手术切除; 淋巴结; 白细胞介素; 直肠癌; 血管内皮生长因子
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i9.1167

AIM：To assess the significance of interleukin（IL）-24 and vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF）expression in lymph-node-positive rectal cancer. METHODS：Between 1998 and 2005,90 rectal adenocarcinoma patients with lymph node involvement were enrolled.All patients received radical surgery and postoperative pelvic chemoradiotherapy of 50.4-54.0 Gy.Chemotherapy of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin or levamisole was given intravenously during the first and last week of radiotherapy,and then monthly for about 6 mo.Expression of IL-24 and VEGF was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens, and their relations with patient characteristics and survival were analyzed.The median follow-up of surviving patients was 73 mo（range：52-122 mo）. RESULTS：IL-24 expression was found in 81 out of 90 patients;31 showed weak intensity and 50 showedstrong intensity.VEGF expression was found in 64 out of 90 patients.Negative and weak intensities of IL-24 expression were classified as negative expression for analysis.IL-24 expression was significantly reduced in poorly differentiated tumors in comparison with well or moderately differentiated tumors（P=0.004）,N2b to earlier N stages（P=0.016）,and stageⅢc to stageⅢ a orⅢb（P=0.028）.The number of involved lymph nodes was also significantly reduced in IL-24-positive patients in comparison with IL-24-negative ones. There was no correlation between VEGF expression and patient characteristics.Expression of IL-24 and VEGF was not correlated with survival,but N stage and stages were significantly correlated with survival. CONCLUSION：IL-24 expression was significantly correlated with histological differentiation,and inversely correlated with the degree of lymph node involvement in stageⅢrectal cancer.