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. 2021 Feb 11;10(4):699.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10040699.

Cytokine Profiles of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with Regards to Radiation Pneumonitis Severity

Bae Kwon Jeong  1   2 , Jin Hyun Kim  2   3 , Myeong Hee Jung  3 , Ki Mun Kang  2   4 , Yun Hee Lee  5
Affiliations

Cytokine Profiles of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with Regards to Radiation Pneumonitis Severity

Bae Kwon Jeong et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

The immunologic aspects of radiation pneumonitis (RP) are unclear. We analyzed variations in cytokine profiles between patients with grade (Gr) 0-1 and Gr ≥ 2 RP. Fifteen patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer were included. Blood samples of 9 patients with Gr 0-1 and 6 with Gr ≥ 2 RP were obtained from the Biobank. Cytokine levels were evaluated using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay at before radiotherapy (RT) initiation, 1, 3, and 6 weeks post-RT initiation, and 1 month post-RT completion. Concentrations of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were analyzed; none were related to the occurrence of Gr ≥ 2 RP at pre-RT initiation. At 3 weeks, relative changes in the G-CSF, IL-6, and IFN-γ levels differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.026, 0.05 and 0.026, respectively). One month post-RT completion, relative changes of IL-17 showed significant differences (p = 0.045); however, relative changes in TNF-α, IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β, did not differ significantly. Evaluation of changes in IL-6, G-CSF, and IFN-γ at 3 weeks after RT initiation can identify patients pre-disposed to severe RP. The mechanism of variation in cytokine levels in relation to RP severity warrants further investigation.

Keywords: chemoradiotherapy; cytokine; non-small cell lung cancer; radiation pneumonitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cytokine levels at pre-RT, during, and after radiotherapy in patients with Grade ≥ 2 and Grade 0–1 radiation pneumonitis: (A) granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF); (B) interleukin (IL)-6; (C) interferon (INF)-γ; (D) IL-17; (E) tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α); (F) IL-10; (G) transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β); (H) IL-13 levels. Data are expressed as the mean ± standard error (SE). * p = 0.008, ** p = 0.001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relative changes in cytokine levels compared to pre-RT levels: (A) G-CSF; (B) IL-6; (C) INF-γ; (D) IL-17; (E) TNF-α; (F) IL-10; (G) TGF-β; (H) IL-13 levels. Data are expressed as the mean ± SE. Continuous line = Gr ≥ 2 radiation pneumonitis, Interrupted line = Gr 0–1 radiation pneumonitis. p = 0.026, * p = 0.050, ** p = 0.026, *** p = 0.045.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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