Aim: The interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathway is one of the mechanisms that
link inflammation and angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to
investigate the preoperative serum levels of IL-6 in gastric carcinoma
with lymph node metastasis, and to correlate them with disease status.
Method: A total of 100 patients who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled
in this study. Serum levels of IL-6 were assessed enzyme linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histological findings included tumor size,
depth of tumor invasion, lymph node (LN) metastasis, and TNM stage.
Result: Increases in cancer invasion and staging are generally
associated with increases in preoperative serum IL-6 levels. IL-6
levels were correlated with invasion depth (p<0.001), LN metastasis
(p<0.001), and TNM stage. The presence of peritoneal seeding
metastasis is associated with IL-6 levels (p<0.001). Conclusion:
Preoperative serum IL-6 levels might be markers of tumor invasion, LN
metastasis, and TNM stage. These results suggest that IL-6 levels are
potential molecular markers that predict lymphatic involvement in
gastric carcinoma
