Fig. 2.

Increased circulating levels of cytokines in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. a A multiplex cytokine assay was used to detect the serum levels of 17 cytokines in patients with metastatic CRC (n = 18) and controls (n = 4), and cytokine levels where the patients with metastatic CRC were significantly different from controls are shown. b Postoperative changes in levels of cytokines that were elevated preoperatively stratified on clinical outcome. Mean ± SEM is shown, and changes were considered significant when P < 0.05. Mean values were compared by Student’s t test, or when Shapiro–Wilk Normality test failed, median values were compared with Mann–Whitney Rank Sum test. Paired t test or Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used to compare the pre-surgery and the post-surgery data. ^#Post-surgical data compared