Measurement of tumour necrosis factor receptors for immune response in colon cancer patients

Immune system is crucial to tumour's initiation, progress and establishment and is contributing to prevent upcoming damaging invasion. Tumour development and surgical resection are both immunosuppressive processes. Immune response could be evaluated by ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS) test, measuring cytokines and receptors release. The aim of the study is to investigate the postoperative immune recovery of cancer patients upon discharge. Twenty-two patients with colon cancer, without pre-treatment, and 16 healthy volunteers (HV) were enrolled in the study. Ten ml of whole blood were collected from every patient on admission (PRE) and upon discharge (POD7) and every HV. Diluted whole blood samples were stimulated with 500 pg/ml LPS, at 37°C, for 4H. Cell culture supernatants (CCSP) were removed after centrifugation and stored at -70°C. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 (IL-6, IL-10), soluble TNF receptors (sTNFRs) were measured in serum and CCSP by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Serum cytokines and receptors, PRE and POD7, were significantly elevated compared to HV (P < 0.001) and significant correlations were found between POD7 IL-6 and sTNFRs (Spearman's ρ 0.47, P < 0.05). Ex vivo, TNF-α, IL-6 and TNFRI release were lower either PRE or POD7, while IL-10 and TNFRII were higher, than in HV. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found between PRE and POD7 levels in serum or CCSP. Cancer patients are not postoperatively immune restored until discharge. The trend of anti-inflammatory TNFRs release could account for alternative marker for the control of cancer patients immune response and the schedule of their following therapeutic treatment.