Assessment of the chemerin, IL-6, and IL-23 correlations and their impact on CRC progression: An observational study

Abstract

Introduction: The role of proinflammatory cytokines is said to be crucial in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). IL-6, IL-23, and chemerin have all been proven to take part in tumor growth and progression. Aim of the study: to determine the level of chemerin and the concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin- 23 (IL-23) in the tumor and margin specimens of CRC in relation to histological grade and TNM staging. Material and methods: The study involved 49 samples of tumor and margin tissues obtained from CRC patients. To assess the concentration of chemerin, IL-6, and IL-23, commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used. Results: There was no difference in chemerin concentration between the tumor and margin. We found significantly increased levels of IL-6 in tumor tissue compared to margin tissue and higher concentrations of IL-23 in margin tissue than in tumor tissue. Tumor levels of chemerin were significantly correlated with those of IL-23, while its margin concentrations were associated with margin concentrations of IL-6. Additionally, tumor levels of IL-23 were positively correlated with margin levels of IL-6. Conclusions: Chemerin might play an important role in CRC progression through its association with cytokine expression. More studies are needed to investigate the possible role of IL-6, IL-23, and chemerin as potential markers in the development of CRC.