Background: Both serum IL-6 levels and CpG island methylation have been shown to have prognostic significance in gastric cancer, it was suggested that an important link existed between IL-6 and methylation of cancers. Aim: To investigate the prognostic value of IL-6 serum level and the association between serum IL-6 levels and CpG island methylation at p16, DAPK, MGMT and E-cadherin in patients with gastric cancer. Patients and Methods: Methylation status was assessed by MSP in 75 surgical specimens of gastric adenocarcinoma. IL-6 serum levels were measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA). Results: Methylation of p16, DAPK, MGMT, and E-cadherin were present in 53, 48, 32, and 59% of patients. Patients with tumors methylated at p16 and DAPK had lower serum levels of IL-6 compared to unmethylated tumors (1.8 vs. 4.8 pg/ml, p = 0.01 for p16; 1.5 vs. 6.2 pg/ml, p = 0.0001 for DAPK). But there was no difference with MGMT and E-cadherin methylation status. Serum IL-6 levels were also associated with TNM stage (p = 0.001), depth of tumor invasion (p = 0.002), lymphatic invasion (p = 0.01), vascular invasion (p = 0.008), metastasis (p = 0.002) and signet cell histology (p = 0.001). Conclusion: IL-6 is of prognostic value for patients of gastric cancer. Low serum IL-6 levels were associated with p16 or DAPK gene methylation in patients with gastric cancer.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.