Clinical relevance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6 in patients with colorectal cancer

ABSTRACT

Some biological factors play a role in stimulation of malignant growth, metastasis and angiogenesis; however, their clinical relevance has not yet been well established for most of them. This work was aimed at studying the clinical relevance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and interleukin-6 [IL-6], in patients with colorectal cancer [CRC]. Preoperative serum levels of VEGF and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immuno-assay in 35 CRC patients and in 30 healthy controls. CRC patients with or without metastasis had significantly higher VEGF and IL-6 levels than healthy controls [all P <0.001]. Patients with advanced clinical stage had significantly higher levels of VEGF and IL-6 than those with early clinical stage [all P <0.001]. Also, patients with metastatic disease had significantly higher VEGF and IL-6levels than those with localized disease [all P<0.001]. The diagnostic accuracy for invasiveness was 83% for VEGF [cut off value = 240 pg/ml] and 66% for IL-6 [cut off value = 6.7 pg/ml], with sensitivity 79% and 74% and specificity 68% and 59%, respectively. In CRC patients, preoperative measurement of serum VEGF and IL-6 may prove useful non-invasive diagnostic indicators associated with advanced clinical stage and tumor metastasis that warrants further investigations