Interleukin-8 as a potential prognostic biomarker in renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemokine involved in inflammation and primary immune response, playing a key role in recruiting neutrophils. IL-8 is produced by several cell types, including immune cells and certain cancer cells. Elevated levels of IL-8 have been associated with a poorer outcome in several tumors and have been related to advanced diseases, treatment resistance, and possibly promoting neo angiogenesis and immune cell recruitment. In the renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the prognostic role of IL-8 has not been settled.

From January 1, 2008 to June 18, 2024, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were searched for all studies investigating the potential prognostic role of IL-8 in RCC. All studies were rated according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed as clinical outcomes, and a meta-analysis was performed for both.

Overall, six papers met the predefined inclusion criteria, with final analyses demonstrating that high IL-8 levels significantly correlate with worse prognosis in RCC, with a statistically shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.59; P = 0.037) and statistically shorter OS (HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.21-2.84; P = .001). Prospective randomized clinical trials are also necessary to investigate the predictive role of IL-8 in the contemporary treatment scenario of RCC to improve clinical decision-making.

This meta-analysis demonstrates the significant prognostic role of IL-8 in RCC, suggesting that IL-8 could be used to refine the prognostic RCC assessment.