Interleukin-6 Expression In Serum, Gastric Juice And Gastric Mucosa Of Helicobacter Pylori Positive Gastric Cancer Patients

Background and Objective: Helicobacter pylori infection is positively correlated with an increased frequency of gastric carcinoma. To investigate whether the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a suitable molecular marker in the early diagnosis of gastric cancer in patients with concomitant H. pylori infection. Materials and Methods: A total of 177 patients were enrolled in this study and divided into the following groups: Gastric cancer group (n = 90), precancerous lesion group (n = 54) and a control group (n = 33). These patients were further subdivided into H. pylori-negative gastric cancer (n = 13), H. pylori-negative precancerous lesions (n = 9), H. pylori negative control (n = 27), H. pylori-positive gastric cancer (n = 77), H. pylori-positive precancerous lesions (n = 45) and H. pylori-positive control (n = 6) groups. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify the expression levels of IL-6 in serum and gastric fluid. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expression of IL-6 in gastric mucosa biopsy samples. Results: The levels of IL-6 in serum samples from gastric cancer patients, regardless of H. pylori infection status, were significantly higher than those in other groups (p<0.05). The serum levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa cancer patients than in H. pylori-negative patients diagnosed with the same cancer condition and in the control group (p<0.05). The levels of IL-6 in the gastric mucosa of patients with precancerous lesions were lower than those in patients with gastric cancer (p<0.05). Conclusions: Both IL-6 and H. pylori infection contributed to the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. IL-6 and H. pylori may contribute to this process synergistically or alternatively, H. pylori may specifically promote the elevated expression of IL-6. In summary, it is believed that the detection of serum IL-6 levels in patients with gastric cancer has important clinical significance in the early diagnosis of gastric cancer.