Correlation between interleukin 10 and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in human esophageal cancer

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is an immunosuppressive cytokine produced by T-lymphocytes, and is a regulatory molecule for angiogenesis in various cancers. We examined IL-10 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression in 45 esophageal cancer patients who underwent surgical resection. Thirty-seven (82.2%) of the 45 esophageal cancers revealed IL-10 gene expression. VEGF121, VEGF165 and VEGF189 isoforms were detected in 93.3% (42/45), 55.6% (25/45) and 26.7% (12/45) of cases, respectively. IL-10 gene expression was significantly correlated with VEGF121 gene expression (P=0.0039, Fisher's test). The results suggested that IL-10 stimulates angiogenic factor gene expression.