DETECTION OF CIRCULATING ICAM-1 AND SOLUBLE IL-2 RECEPTOR IN SERUM OFCOLORECTAL-CANCER PATIENTS

Malignancies are often associated with alterations of some immunologic al parameters. The evaluation of soluble molecules in serum is an impo rtant non-invasive approach in order to verifty the immune condition o f cancer patients. Recently, alterations of soluble interleukin-2 rece ptor (sIL-2R) production have been observed in neoplastic diseases. In this study, serum levels of sIL-2R and circulating intercellular adhe sion molecule-1 (clCAM-1) were assessed, using enzyme immunological te sts (ELISA), in 38 patients with colorectal cancer at diagnosis and 32 healthy subjects. No difference in clCAM-1 levels was found; a statis tically significant increase of sIL-2R was found in colon cancer patie nts (p < 0.0001). No correlation of sIL-2R with stage of the disease a nd other histopathologic parameters was found. A significant correlati on was found between clCAM-1 and histologic grading of tumour cell dif ferentiation and between sIL-2R and clCAM-1. These data suggest that i n colorectal adenocarcinoma sIL-2R may be important in the pathogenesi s of immune alterations associated with tumour progression.