Expression and significance of serum immune-related factors in patients with colorectal cancer

  Objective  To explore the expression levels and significance of peripheral blood natural killer cells (NK), CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28^- and the immune related factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-2, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IL-22, IL-8 in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

  Methods  Totally 80 CRC patients, 54 patients with chronic enteritis and 36 healthy volunteers were selected as intestinal cancer group, benign group and healthy group. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-22, IL-8 and peripheral blood NK, CD3^+, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28^- were detected in all the groups. One-way ANOVA method was used to analyze the immune-related indexes. At the same time, the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis rank sum test was used to analyze the correlation between the expression of immune-related factors and pathological time in CRC patients.

  Results  There were significant differences in peripheral blood NK, CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28^- levels and serum TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-22, IL-8 among the three groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the healthy group, the peripheral blood CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28^- contents and serum TNF-α, IL-22, IL-8 levels significantly increased in the benign group and the intestinal cancer group, while the peripheral blood NK, CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and serum IL-2, IFN-γ levels significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with benign group, the TNF-α, IL-22, IL-8 levels and peripheral blood CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28ˉ contents increased significantly in the intestinal cancer group, while serum IL-2, IFN-γ levels and peripheral blood NK, CD3⁺, CD4⁺ levels significantly decreased (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in serum TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-22, IL-8 and peripheral blood NK, CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD8⁺CD28^- levels in patients with different clinical stages of CRC (P < 0.05). From stage Ⅰ to Ⅳ of TNM, serum TNF-α, IL-22, IL-8 levels and peripheral blood CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28^- levels significantly increased, while IL-2, IFN-γ levels and the contents of NK, CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ significantly reduced (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The immune-related factors such as TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-22, IL-8 and peripheral blood immune cells play important roles in the development of CRC, which can be used as important factors to reflect the progress of CRC and evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of patients.