This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 1078-0432.CCR-07-1032v1 1078-0432.CCR-07-1032v2 14/2/428    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Liao, W.-C. Articles by Wu, M.-S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Liao, W.-C. Articles by Wu, M.-S.

Serum Interleukin-6 Level but not Genotype Predicts Survival after Resection in Stages II and III Gastric Carcinoma

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Department of Internal Medicine and ² Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine; ³ Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine and ⁴ Center of Biostatistics Consultation and ⁵ Biostatistics Laboratory, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; ⁶ Division of Gastroenterology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital; and ⁷ College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Requests for reprints: Ming-Shiang Wu, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10017, Taiwan. Phone: 886-2-23562246; Fax: 886-2-23947899; E-mail: mingshiang{at}ntu.edu.tw.

Purpose: It has been suggested that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a prognostic indicator for survival in patients with gastric carcinoma, but this has not been proved using survival analysis. In Asians, the –634G allele is associated with increased IL-6 production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum IL-6 levels, –634G/C polymorphism, and overall survival after resection for gastric carcinoma.

Experimental Design: A total of 155 consecutive patients with gastric carcinoma were evaluated. Serum IL-6 levels were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. Genotype was determined by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum levels and survival were correlated with genotype and clinicopathologic factors.

Results: Age and stage, but not –634G/C genotype, were associated with serum IL-6 levels. The median survival for patients with stage II or stage III gastric carcinoma was 1,418 days in patients with low (13 pg/mL) versus 618 days in patients with high (>13 pg/mL) serum IL-6 levels (P = 0.038). Results of a multivariate analysis showed that serum IL-6 level of >13 pg/mL was a significant predictor of poor survival (hazard ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.92; P = 0.026).

Conclusions: Serum IL-6 level of >13 pg/mL correlates with tumor progression and is an independent predictor of poor survival after resection. In patients with stage II and III gastric carcinoma, serum IL-6 level is more effective than stage as a prognostic indicator. By measuring IL-6, these patients can be divided into two groups with significant differences in survival. The –634G/C polymorphism is not associated with serum IL-6 level or survival.