ABSTRACT
This study aimed at assessing whether pretreatment levels of interleukin-6 [IL-6], interleukin-10 [IL-10], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF- alpha], soluble TNF type 1 receptor [p55-R-TNF] and soluble interleukin-2 receptor [sIL-2R] are related to known clinical and biological prognostic factors of lymphoma. Thirty-five patients diagnosed to have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL] were studied. Patients were treated by 6 cycles of multiagent chemotherapy regimen containing Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, Vincristine and Prednisolone [CHOP]. Serum cytokines levels were determined in their serum by an Enzyme Amplified Sensitivity Immunoassay [EASIA] and chemiluminescent enzyme immunometric assay. Statistically significant higher pretreatment levels of sIL-2R [p<0.0001], IL-6 [P<0.0001], IL-10 [p=0.01] and p55-R-TNF [P<0.0001] were observed in NHL patients as compared to controls. sIL- 2R and TNF- alpha levels correlated with tumor burden [P> 0.02 and> 0.01, respectively], while, significantly high levels of IL-6, TNF- alpha and p55-R-TNF were found in patients presented with beta symptoms [P = 0.01, 0.05 and 0.025 respectively]. Following treatment, cytokine levels progressively declined in responding patients. However, no single parameter was found to be of independent prognostic significance. Dramatic variations in sIL- 2 R and TNF- alpha levels between responder and non-responders suggested that combination of these markers might have a prognostic value in management of NHL. These markers could be used in monitoring disease activity and identification of high risk patients who need more aggressive therapy