SERUM-SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTOR CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC-CANCER

Background. Serum concentrations of soluble interleukin-2-receptor (IL -2R) were found to be high in patients with autoimmune diseases, lung cancer, malignant lymphoma, tuberculosis, and other diseases. Serum-so luble IL-2R was evaluated as a tumor maker in patients with gastric ca ncer. Methods. Preoperative concentrations of serum-soluble IL-IR were examined in 40 patients with gastric cancer. The authors investigated the correlations of serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations with various c haracteristics of this cancer (disease stage, gross appearance, depth of the tumor, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, peritoneal meta stasis, histopathologic grade, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a lpha-fetoprotein (alpha-FTP), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP). Serum soluble IL-2R concentrat ions were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Levels of serum-soluble IL-2R in patients with gastric cancer were si gnificantly higher than those of normal control subjects. Serum concen trations of IL-2R in patients with lymph node metastasis were also sig nificantly higher than those of patients without lymph node metastasis . There were no significant differences in histopathologic findings (g rade, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion). Moreover, serum concentrat ions of soluble IL-2R in patients who were IAP positive were significa ntly higher than those who were IAP negative. Conclusions. Preoperativ e serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations in patients with gastric cancer r eflect the occurrence of regional lymph node metastases. Preoperative evaluation of serum soluble IL-2R concentrations may be a valuable par ameter of indicating the probability of lymph node metastasis preopera tively.