Prognostic value of circulating cytokines in breast cancer: A prospective study in sixty breast cancer patients in Tunisia

e12592 Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The functional relationship between inflammation and cancer is an old concept of cancero- genesis, and it is now clear that inflammatory process certainly potentiates and/or promotes neoplastic risk. However, many of the molecular and cellular mechanisms mediating this relationship remain unresolved. The aim of this study is to measure the level of circulating cytokines (IL17, IL6, IL22, IL23 and TNFα) in breast cancer patients in Tunisia, and to evaluate their implication as prognostic factors. Methods: Serum samples were collected prospectively from sixty breast cancer patients in Tunisia. TNF-α and IL6 levels were determined using the technique of a solid-phase, two-site chemo-luminescent enzyme immune-metric assay (Immulite 1000, USA). Serum levels of IL17, IL22 and IL23 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) sandwich method. Results: The mean age of patients is 48 years, and fourth of them were metastatic. The mean level of cytokines IL6, IL17, TNFα, IL22 and IL23 were respectively 4.80 ± 7.26 pg/ ml (min 2, max 36.80 pg/ ml), 0.27 ± 0.69 pg/ ml (min 0, max 3.62 pg/ ml), 5.93 ± 2.27 pg/ ml (min 4, max 15.30 pg/ml), 50.82 ± 34.78 p/ml (min 26.48, max 199.48 pg/ ml) and 18.05 ± 30.91 pg/ ml (min 0, max 200.21 pg/ml). Serum IL6 level was significantly higher in advanced stages (p = 0.013), especially in metastatic cases (p = 0.001) and in patients who had recurrent disease (p = 0.010). High level of TNFα was also significantly associated with advanced stage (stage III and IV) (p = 0.019), and high level of IL22 was significantly associated with a high histopathological grade (Grade III of Bloom-Richardson grade (SBR)) (p = 0.028). IL23 was found to be significantly increased in lymph node metastatic cases (p = 0.042) and in young patients < 35 years (p = 0.034). Finally, the level of IL17 was significantly higher in patients who had recurrent disease (p = 0.018). Conclusions: Our results highlight the role of certain circulating cytokines as potential prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer patients. The serum analysis of these cytokines, which could contribute to tumor growth and progression, may help to identify groups of patients with poor prognosis and who may need more aggressive treatment. This correlation needs to be evaluated in large prospective validating trials and suggests a rational for the development and use of cytokine blockade in treatment of some groups of breast cancer patients.