Plasma Interleukin-6 as a Biomarker of Disease Progression in Prostate Cancer: Association with Metastasis, PSA Levels, and Gleason Score
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52206/jsmc.2026.16.2.207Abstract
Background: Prostate cancer (PC) remains one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies among men worldwide, characterized by heterogeneous clinical behavior ranging from indolent disease to aggressive metastatic progression. Conventional biomarkers such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) have limitations in accurately predicting disease progression, necessitating the identification of additional reliable biomarkers. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, has emerged as a potential indicator of tumor progression due to its role in cancer biology and metastasis.
Objective: To evaluate the association of plasma IL-6 levels with prostate cancer progression, specifically in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic disease, and to assess its correlation with PSA levels and Gleason scores.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 50 histopathologically confirmed PC patients, categorized into metastatic (n = 25) and non-metastatic (n = 25) groups. Plasma IL-6 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while PSA levels were determined via chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Gleason scores were recorded based on histopathological evaluation.
Results: Plasma IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in metastatic patients (28.9 ± 5.4 pg/mL) compared to non-metastatic patients (2.3 ± 1.2 pg/mL; p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation was observed between IL-6 and PSA levels (r = 0.512, p = 0.029), and a significant positive correlation was found between IL-6 and Gleason score (r = 0.431, p = 0.042).
Conclusion: Plasma IL-6 is significantly associated with prostate cancer progression and demonstrates strong correlations with established clinical parameters such as PSA and Gleason score. These findings suggest that IL-6 may serve as a complementary biomarker for assessing disease severity and aggressiveness.
Keywords: Biomarker, Gleason Score, Interleukin-6, Metastasis, Prostate Cancer, PSA.
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