Table 2.
Results of the univariate analyses (n = 233).
| High IL-6 levels (≥6.3 pg/mL) n = 57 (%) |
Low IL-6 levels (<6.3 pg/mL) n = 176 (%) |
P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | ≥75 | 24 (32.4) | 50 (67.6) | 0.07 |
| <75 | 33 (20.8) | 126 (79.2) | ||
| Sex | Female | 20 (21.3) | 74 (78.7) | 0.44 |
| Male | 37 (26.6) | 102 (73.4) | ||
| BMI | ≥25 | 10 (19.2) | 42 (80.8) | 0.37 |
| <25 | 47 (26.0) | 134 (74.0) | ||
| Albumin (g/dL) | ≥4.0 | 19 (14.4) | 113 (85.6) | <0.01 |
| <4.0 | 38 (37.6) | 63 (62.4) | ||
| CRP (mg/dL) | ≥0.5 | 34 (63.0) | 20 (37.0) | <0.01 |
| <0.5 | 23 (12.8) | 156 (87.2) | ||
| CEA (ng/mL) | ≥5.0 | 30 (32.3) | 63 (67.7) | 0.03 |
| <5.0 | 27 (19.3) | 113 (80.7) | ||
| CA19-9 (U/mL) | ≥37.0 | 19 (38.0) | 31 (62.0) | 0.02 |
| <37.0 | 38 (20.8) | 145 (79.2) | ||
| VEGF (pg/mL) | ≥145 | 12 (30.0) | 28 (70.0) | 0.42 |
| <145 | 45 (23.3) | 148 (76.7) | ||
| Tumor location | Right | 24 (30.4) | 55 (69.6) | 0.15 |
| Left | 33 (21.4) | 121 (78.6) | ||
| Pathological findings | ||||
| Differentiation | Poor | 6 (42.9) | 8 (57.1) | 0.11 |
| Others | 51 (23.3) | 168 (76.7) | ||
| Lymphatic invasion | Positive | 48 (26.4) | 134 (73.6) | 0.27 |
| Negative | 9 (17.6) | 42 (82.4) | ||
| Venous invasion | Positive | 50 (29.9) | 117 (70.1) | <0.01 |
| Negative | 7 (10.6) | 59 (89.4) | ||
| TNM classification | ||||
| T | <4 | 28 (16.3) | 144 (83.7) | <0.01 |
| 4 | 29 (47.5) | 32 (52.5) | ||
| N | Positive | 31 (30.4) | 71 (69.6) | 0.07 |
| Negative | 26 (19.8) | 105 (80.2) | ||
| M | Positive | 19 (42.2) | 26 (57.8) | <0.01 |
| Negative | 28 (15.7) | 150 (84.3) | ||
| Liver metastasis | Positive | 11 (37.9) | 18 (62.1) | 0.27 |
| Negative | 46 (22.5) | 158 (77.5) | ||
| Obstruction | Positive | 23 (57.5) | 17 (42.5) | <0.01 |
| Negative | 34 (17.6) | 159 (82.4) |
The analyses were performed using Fisher's exact test. The results are presented as the number of patients.
IL-6: interleukin-6; BMI: body mass index; CRP: C-reactive protein; CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen; CA19-9: carbohydrate antigen 19-9; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor.