Dual association of serum interleukin-10 levels with colorectal cancer

Background: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is considered an immune modulator cytokine, showing both antitumor and pro-tumor characteristics. Its role in the pathogenesis and progression of colorectal cancer depends on microenvironmental milieu. Materials and Methods: A case-control study with 58 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and 30 healthy individuals was conducted to compare the serum IL-10 levels between patients and controls. Furthermore, the correlation of the cytokine levels with the pathological features and prognosis of the CRC was investigated. IL-10 levels in the sera of patients and controls were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Mean serum IL-10 levels were significantly lower in CRC patients than in controls (P = 0.04). CRC patients with worse prognosis at the time of diagnosis tend to have higher levels of circulating IL-10 than those with better prognosis (P = 0.008). Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis demonstrated that IL-10 levels in the sera of CRC patients can be used as a prognostic biomarker in CRC patients (area under the curve = 0.71; P = 0.01). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated a dual association of serum IL-10 levels in the initiation and progression of CRC. While lower IL-10 levels were associated with higher risk of the disease, its higher levels were associated with a poorer prognosis.