IL-6, A Promising Tumor Marker and Prognostic Indicator in Patients with HCC?

Abstract

In the last decade, accumulating evidence has supported Virchow’s hypothesis that cancer and inflammation are linked. Many investigators have demonstrated that the presence of a systemic inflammatory response, as evidenced by an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) level or elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, are associated with a poor outcome in patients with many types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In vol 134, issue 1 of the International Journal of Cancer, Ohishi et al have indicated that elevated serum IL-6 levels are associated with an increased HCC risk, independent of other established risk factors for HCC. They found that elevated serum IL-6 levels were associated with an increased risk of HCC, independent of HBV and HCV infection, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, BMI and radiation exposure. In subgroup analyses, they found an even stronger association between elevated serum IL-6 levels and an increased risk of HCC. The authors concluded that monitoring the serum IL-6 levels may be more useful for predicting subsequent HCC, especially among obese individuals with non-B, non-C liver disease.These findings would help clinicians to identify patients with NAFLD or NASH who potentially remain at high risk for the development of HCC.