Table 2.
Cytokines are present at high levels in ER-negative and PR-negative breast tumors
| Biological marker | ER negative (n = 45) | ER positive (n = 60) | P | PR negative (n = 30) | PR positive (n = 75) | P | ||||
| IL-1β | 3.7 | (0–260) | 2.2 | (0–42.4) | 0.031 | 5.3 | (0–194) | 2.3 | (0–260) | 0.008 |
| IL-2 | 1.7 | (0–42.6) | 0.9 | (0–11.0) | 0.003 | 1.7 | (0–6.6) | 1.2 | (0–42.6) | 0.119 |
| IL-4 | 3.8 | (0–20.0) | 1.1 | (0–99.6) | NS | 4.6 | (0–18.7) | 1.1 | (0–99.6) | 0.040 |
| IL-6 | 25.4 | (7.8–26,487) | 13.2 | (4.4–619) | < 0.001 | 53.6 | (9.9–26,487) | 13.7 | (4.4–4,312) | < 0.001 |
| IL-8 | 158 | (5.0–15,890) | 40.5 | (0–10,298) | < 0.001 | 505 | (7.3–15,890) | 48.7 | (0–11,281) | < 0.001 |
| IL-10 | 0.6 | (0–5.6) | 0.2 | (0–2.86) | 0.003 | 0.8 | (0–5.0) | 0.2 | (0–5.6) | < 0.001 |
| IL-12 (p70) | 3.0 | (0 -19.3) | 2.0 | (0–17.2) | 0.029 | 3.1 | (0–7.3) | 2.0 | (0–19.3) | 0.024 |
| IL-13 | 4.3 | (3.4–52.6) | 4.1 | (1.6–394) | 0.049 | 4.3 | (3.6–35.5) | 4.1 | (1.6–394) | NS |
| G-CSF | 17.3 | (7.1–110) | 20.1 | (5.3–87.3) | NS | 24.1 | (7.1–110) | 17.4 | (5.3–103) | 0.056 |
| IFN-γ | 32.6 | (19.4–324) | 25.6 | (15.5–1,279) | < 0.001 | 33.8 | (23.7–324) | 25.6 | (15.5–1,279) | 0.002 |
| MCP-1 | 210 | (14.7–37,117) | 80.7 | (0–1,543) | < 0.001 | 404 | (17.7–37,717) | 96.3 | (0–1,543) | < 0.001 |
| MIP-1β | 748 | (42.6–14,439) | 488 | (87.2–10,244) | 0.005 | 1121 | (44.6–13,287) | 493 | (42.6–14,439) | 0.001 |
| TNF-α | 8.5 | (6.1–80.0) | 6.9 | (5.8–120) | < 0.001 | 8.6 | (6.2–37.2) | 7.1 | (5.8–121) | 0.002 |
Values are expressed as median (range; fg/μg). G-CSF, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; MCP, monocyte chemoattractant protein; MIP, macrophage inflammatory protein; NS, not significant; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.