Serum Levels of IL-21 and IL-22 in Breast Cancer Patients-A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumours in women worldwide. Although modern medicine has led to advanced diagnostic methods and therapies that allow for increasingly effective treatment, the mechanisms underlying breast cancer development and progression remain the subject of intensive research. In the pathogenesis of this cancer, significant importance is attributed to interactions between tumour cells and the tumour microenvironment, in which soluble immune system mediators-cytokines-play a key role, including IL-21 and IL-22. These interleukins, by modulating the immune response, can both promote and inhibit tumour progression, and analysing their concentrations may prove helpful in diagnosis, disease progression prognosis, and the development of new therapies, including immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of IL-21 and IL-22 in a group of patients with invasive cancer, depending on the biological type of the tumour and its malignancy grade. The study involved 60 women with breast cancer and 20 women with benign breast lesions, and the analysis of IL-21 and IL-22 protein concentrations was performed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The analysis shows that the concentrations of IL-21 and IL-22 do not differ significantly depending on the malignancy grade of the tumour. However, a statistically significant negative correlation between the concentrations of IL-21 and IL-22 was observed exclusively in the group of patients with benign breast lesions. Due to the high heterogeneity of breast cancers, further research with a larger study group is necessary to better understand these parameters and possibly apply them clinically in patients with breast cancer.

Keywords: IL-21; IL-22; breast cancer; tumour microenvironment.

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of the study groups.

Figure 2

IL-21 serum concentrations [pg/mL] in relation to (a) tumour grade and (b) biological subtype. Kruskal–Wallis test was used for comparisons. Logarithmic scale applied in panel (a) for better visualisation.

Figure 3

IL-22 serum concentrations [pg/mL] in relation to (a) tumour grade and (b) biological subtype. Kruskal–Wallis test was used for statistical analysis.