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4016 CORRESPONDENCE

Serum Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-6 Concentrations in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies

To the Editor:
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) may play a relevant role in the pathogenesis
of several hematologic malignancies.’,* Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is pro-
duced by a wide variety of cells at inflammatory sites and acts
on neutrophils stimulating degranulation and chemotaxis.’ Elevated
levels of IL-8 are found in the serum of patients with colorectal
cancer! Serum IL-6 and E - 8 levels are correlated in patients with
colorectal cancer4 and multiple organ failure.’ Like IL-6, IL-8 could
be valuable as a marker of the exacerbation of cytokine production
during hematologic malignancies.
To test this hypothesis serum samples were obtained from 63
leukemic patients before therapy according to the Helsinki recom-
mendations. Forty three patients had a lymphoid malignancy includ-
ing 12 Hodgkm’s lymphoma (HL) (mean age 43 years, sex ratio
madwoman 2). 25 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) (mean age 62
years, sex ratio lS),and 6 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
(mean age 70 years, sex ratio madwoman 1). Twenty patients had
a nonlymphoid malignancy including 12 acute myeloid leukemia
(AML) (mean age 60, sex ratio 3) and 8 refractory anemia with
excess of blasts (RAEB) (mean age 74, sex ratio 7). Twenty seven
healthy individuals (mean age 55 years, sex ratio 0.8) served as
controls. E-8 and IL-6 levels were measured with enzyme linked
immunosorbent assay kits (TEBU, Le Perray en Yvelines, France).
The sensitivity of the assay enables detection of serum cytokine
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CORRESPONDENCE
levels as low as 3 pglmL. Results are expressed as mean ? SEM.
Comparison between groups was made using Mann-Whitney U-
test. Correlations between cytokine levels were calculated by linear
regression analysis.
Serum IL-8 concentrations were significantly higher (P < .01) in
patients with NHL (63.2 ? 16.2 pg/mL), RAEB (38.7 ? 7.5 pg/
mL), and AML (57.4 2 12.2 pg/ml) but not with HL (28.1 2 7.23
pg/ml) and CLL (20.4 ? 14.0 pglmL) as compared with controls
(16.2 ? 1.4 pg/mL). Serum IL-6 concentrations were significantly
higher (P < ,001) in patients with NHL (28.3 ? 6.2 pg/mL), HL
(26.0 2 3.5 pglmL), and AML (44.1 2 14.3) but not with CLL (8.3
2 1.6 pglmL) and RAEB (12.1 2 2.3 pg/mL) as compared with
controls (8.8 t 1.8 pglmL). IL-6 and IL-8 levels are correlated in
patients with NHL ( r = 0.54, P = ,005) but not in patients with HL
( r = 0.32, P = .31), CLL ( r = .46, P = .36), RAEB ( r = .22, P =
.06), and AML ( r = . I , P = .76).
We found that IL-8 is a marker of the exacerbation of cytokine
production in patients with NHL, RAEB, and AML. The IL-8 levels
detected in these patients are similar to those found in patients with
multiple organ failure of nonseptic origin.5 The absence of correla-
tion between IL-8 and IL-6 levels, exept in NHL, suggests that the
mechanisms of production andor the cell sources leading to IL-8 and
IL-6 production differ between the different types of hematologic
malignancies. The clinical usefulness of these increases of IL-8 se-
rum concentrations requires further evaluation. However, we can
speculate that IL-8 might participate to the pathology via its chemo-
tactic activity on neutrophils, its capacity to increase vascular perme-
ability through enzyme released by the exocytosis of neutrophil gran-
ule contents, and its ability to trigger the secretion of
proinflammatory compounds such as superoxide anions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We are grateful to the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer
(Grant No. 6412) for funding our project. P.F. is the recipient of a
4017
grant from the “Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer” (Comiti de la
Haute Vienne).
Y. Denizot
P. Fixe
E. Liozon
V. Praloran
Laboratoire d ’He‘matologie Expe‘rimentale
Faculte‘ de Me‘decine
Limoges, France
REFERENCES
1. Kurzrock R, Redman J, Cabanillas F, Jones D, Rothberg J,
Talpaz M: Serum interleukin 6 levels are elevated in lymphoma
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and with B symptoms. Cancer Res 53:2118, 1993
2. Du Villard L, Guiguet M, Casasnovas RO, Caillot D, Monnier-
Zeller V, Bemard A, Guy H, Solary E: Diagnostic value of serum
IL-6 level in monoclonal gammopathies. Br J Haematol 89:243,
1995
3. Matsushima K, Oppenheim JJ: Interleukin 8 and MCAF: novel
inflammatory cytokines inducible by IL1 and TNF. Cytokines 1:2,
1989
4. Ueda T, Shimada E, Urakawa T: Serum levels of cytokines in
patients with colorectal cancer: Possible involvement of interleukin-
6 and interleukin-8 in hematogenous metastasis. J Gastroenterol
29:423, 1994
5 . Marty C, Misset B, Tamion F, Fitting C, Carlet J, Cavaillon
JM: Circulating interleukin-8 concentrations in patients with multi-
ple organ failure of septic and nonseptic origin. Crit Care Med
22673, 1994
 From www.bloodjournal.org by guest on January 13, 2019. For personal use only.

1996 87: 4016-4017

Serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-6 concentrations in patients with

hematologic malignancies [letter]
Y Denizot, P Fixe, E Liozon and V Praloran

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