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Topical Area: Diet and Cancer

Diet and Cancer (Poster Session)

(P13-002-23) Cytokine Serum Concentrations and the Relationship Between Cytokines and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients With Gynecological Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy

Sunday, July 23, 2023
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 228

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Rebecca Ahlin

    PhD
    Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
    Gothenburg, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden

    • Co-Author(s)

  • DM

    Daniel Munkberg

    Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

  • GS

    Gunnar Steineck

    Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

  • MH

    Maria Hedelin

    Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

Disclosure(s):
Rebecca Ahlin: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To examine serum concentrations of different cytokines at different time points of radiotherapy and associations between serum concentrations of different cytokines and gastrointestinal symptoms in gynecological patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Methods: We analyzed serum concentrations of 12 cytokines (IL6, IL17C, MCP1, IL17A, IL10RA, IL10RB, Il12B, Il13, IL10, TNF, TGF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL5) in 30 patients with gynecological cancer scheduled for curative radiotherapy who completed blood samples before radiotherapy (RT) start (baseline), during RT, 4 w after RT, and 1 y after RT. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyze the change in concentrations of cytokines over time. Spearman's correlation was used to investigate correlations between five self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms (“anal leakage of blood while awake”, “stools containing blood”, “sudden defecation urgency requiring lavatory”, “loose stools”, and “need to repeat defecation within one hour”) and the cytokine concentrations four weeks after radiotherapy.

Results: The participants had a median age of 64 years (IQR 20, range 34-79) and a body mass index of 20.4 kg/m2 at baseline. The TNF concentration differed between baseline and during RT (P = 0.01), between during the RT and 4 w after RT (P = 0.047), and between during RT and 1 y after RT. IL10 differed between baseline and during RT (P = 0.015). IFN-gamma differed between baseline and during RT (P < 0.01), between baseline and 4 w after RT, and between 4 w after RT and 1 y after RT (P = 0.012). We found only found a statistically significant correlation between IL12B and the gastrointestinal symptom “need to repeat defecation within one hour” (r 0.45, P = 0.016).

Conclusions: Serum concentrations of TNF, IL10RB, and IFN-gamma differed between different time points of radiotherapy and there was an association between the concentration of IL12B and bowel urgency in gynecological cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Funding Sources: The Swedish Cancer Society, The Swedish Research Council, the ALF agreement, the LUA/ALF agreement in the West of Sweden health care region, Sjöberg Foundation, Stiftelsen Jubileumsklinikens Forskningsfond mot Cancer, and Ekhaga Foundation.