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Cytokines are associated with postembolization fever and survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

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Abstract

Objective

Cytokines play important roles in angiogenesis, inflammation, and cell growth. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between cytokine changes and clinical characteristics in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods

Forty-one TACE-näive HCC patients receiving 73 sessions of TACE and 30 healthy controls were studied. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), angiogenin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), epidermal growth factor receptor, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) before and at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after TACE as well as clinical parameters were analyzed.

Results

Baseline serum levels of VEGF, bFGF, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in HCC patients were significantly elevated, whereas EGF and TGF-β1 levels were lower compared to those in healthy controls (p < 0.05 for all). Serum IL-6 increased rapidly and peaked on day 1 after TACE administration, whereas VEGF increased more slowly and peaked on day 14 after TACE administration. Patients with post-TACE fever had higher serum IL-6 levels on days 1, 3, and 5 (p < 0.005 for all). Patients with pre-TACE serum VEGF < 200 pg/ml had a longer survival than those with pre-TACE serum VEGF levels ≥ 200 pg/ml (22.2 months vs. 11.6 months, p = 0.014). Cox multivariate analysis showed that baseline serum VEGF significantly predicted survival for HCC patients receiving TACE.

Conclusions

TACE is associated with the modulation of serum angiogenic, inflammatory, and cell growth cytokines in HCC patients. Serum IL-6 correlates with post-TACE fever, and baseline serum VEGF independently predicts patient survival.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from Taipei Veterans General Hospital (V101C-178), the National Science Council (NSC 98-2314-B-075-029), and the National Research Program for Biopharmaceutics of Taiwan (100CT202).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yee Chao

  2. National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yee Chao, Chen-Yu Kuo, Jack P. Wang, Jiing-Chyuan Luo, Chien-Hui Kao, Rheun-Chuan Lee, Wei-Ping Lee & Chung-Pin Li

  3. Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chen-Yi Wu

  4. Department of Dermatology, Heping Fuyou Branch, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chen-Yi Wu

  5. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan

    Chen-Yu Kuo, Jack P. Wang, Jiing-Chyuan Luo, Chien-Hui Kao & Chung-Pin Li

  6. Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Rheun-Chuan Lee

  7. Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Wei-Ping Lee

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  1. Yee Chao
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Correspondence to Chung-Pin Li.

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Y. Chao and C.-Y. Wu contributed equally to this manuscript.

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Chao, Y., Wu, CY., Kuo, CY. et al. Cytokines are associated with postembolization fever and survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Hepatol Int 7, 883–892 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-012-9409-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-012-9409-9

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