Increased IL-۱۷ and IL-۶ Transcripts in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Implication for a Robust Proinflammatory Response in Early Stages of Breast Cancer

Background: Several recent studies demonstrated that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), by stimulating T regulatory cells, and interleukins ۶ and ۱۷ (IL-۶, IL- ۱۷), by inducing inflammatory reactions, may be critical factors in cancer pathogenesis.Methods: We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays to quantify the expression of IL-۱۷, IL-۶ and TGF-β mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lymphocytes from draining lymph nodes of ۶۰ women with breast cancer. The results were compared according to the patients’ clinical or pathological status.Results: Higher amounts of IL-۱۷ and IL-۶ mRNA, but not TGF-β transcripts, were found in patients compared to controls. There were no significant differences between patients with negative or positive nodes or with different histological grades or stages of disease.Conclusion: Most women in this analysis had stage I or II disease. We thus conclude that IL-۱۷, a prominent proinflammatory cytokine, may play an important role in recruiting and infiltrating antitumor immune responses in early stages of breast cancer.