Preoperative serum IL-6 is significantly associated with prognostic implications in patients with hepatic side T2 GBC, not in those with peritoneal side tumors.
Of these, 147/175 (18 lung, 43 oral, 13 esophageal and 73 gallbladder) cancer patients (84%) showed higher IL-6 levels as compared to control group (normal range: <7 pg/ml).
IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly increased in both the HCC and GBC groups, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-<i>α</i> in the cholangiocellular carcinoma group, and IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-<i>α</i> in the pancreatic cancer group.
We identify that inflammatory cytokine, IL-6 promotes proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of GBC both in vitro and in vivo.
Higher mRNA expression levels of IL‑6, Twist and Vimentin and a reduced expression level of E‑cadherin were also demonstrated in the GBC tissues (P<0.05).
These results suggest that TNFA -308 (G/A) polymorphism may influence the susceptibility of female gender gallbladder cancer in absence of gallstones while IL6-174 G/C polymorphism does not seem to be playing significant role in the susceptibility to gallbladder cancer.