OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical significance of intercellular interleukin (IL)-33 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, this prospective study compared IL-33 protein levels in samples of HCC tissue and normal tissue adjacent to the tumour in 60 patients with HCC, and in normal liver tissue from six healthy controls. Interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ and IL-33 serum levels were also analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in HCC 30 patients and 10 healthy controls. The level of IL-33 immunohistochemical staining was compared with the rate of lymph node metastasis in HCC patients. RESULTS: IL-33 was strongly positive in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. The median percentage of IL-33-positive tissue was higher in HCC than in normal liver tissue samples (adjacent to the tumour or from controls). Serum IFN-α, IFN-γ and IL-33 levels were higher in pre- and postoperative samples from HCC patients than in control samples, and in patients with metastasis compared with those without metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IL-33 protein levels were observed in serum and liver tissue from HCC patients; IL-33 may be a useful biological marker for monitoring HCC growth and metastasis.
OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical significance of intercellular interleukin (IL)-33 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, this prospective study compared IL-33 protein levels in samples of HCC tissue and normal tissue adjacent to the tumour in 60 patients with HCC, and in normal liver tissue from six healthy controls. Interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ and IL-33 serum levels were also analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in HCC 30 patients and 10 healthy controls. The level of IL-33 immunohistochemical staining was compared with the rate of lymph node metastasis in HCC patients. RESULTS:IL-33 was strongly positive in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. The median percentage of IL-33-positive tissue was higher in HCC than in normal liver tissue samples (adjacent to the tumour or from controls). Serum IFN-α, IFN-γ and IL-33 levels were higher in pre- and postoperative samples from HCC patients than in control samples, and in patients with metastasis compared with those without metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IL-33 protein levels were observed in serum and liver tissue from HCC patients; IL-33 may be a useful biological marker for monitoring HCC growth and metastasis.
Authors: Francesca Capone; Eliana Guerriero; Giovanni Colonna; Patrizia Maio; Alessandra Mangia; Raffaele Marfella; Giuseppe Paolisso; Francesco Izzo; Nicoletta Potenza; Luigi Tomeo; Giuseppe Castello; Susan Costantini Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-07-30 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Charlotte O'Donnell; Amr Mahmoud; Jonathan Keane; Carola Murphy; Declan White; Sinead Carey; Micheal O'Riordain; Michael W Bennett; Elizabeth Brint; Aileen Houston Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2015-12-17 Impact factor: 7.640