Serum interleukin-18 and nitric oxide activity in bladder carcinoma
Bukan, N.; Sözen, S.; Coskun, U.; Sancak, B.; Günel, N.; Bozkirli, I.; Senocak, C.
European Cytokine Network 14(3): 163-167
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1148-5493 PMID: 14656691 Document Number: 554406
Background: Both interleukin-18 and nitric oxide are multifunctional molecules that are involved in the different steps of carcinogenesis. Methods: In the present study, we measured serum interleukin-18 and nitric oxide activity in 51 bladder cancer patients with different tumor stage and grade, and in 8 healthy controls. Serum nitrite-nitrate levels were measured as an index of nitric oxide generation. Results: Serum interleukin-18 levels were significantly higher in bladder cancer patients when compared to the control subjects (p>0.05). Serum interleukin-18 levels were found to be higher in patients with Ta stage than patients with T1 and T2, T3, T4 stages and in patients with grade 1 tumors than patients with grade 2 and grade 3 tumors, but this was not statistically significant (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in serum nitrite+nitrate levels between bladder cancer patients and control subjects. Conclusions: Elevated serum interleukin-18 levels in bladder carcinoma patients may be a result of host defence mechanism against the growth and progression of bladder cancer cells.