Evaluation of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) Levels before and after Radiotherapy in Thyroid Carcinoma Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30683/1929-2279.2025.14.10Keywords:
IL-8, Thyroid carcinoma, Cancer, Inflammatory cytokines, RadiotherapyAbstract
Background: Thyroid cancer is a health concern and the most common endocrine tumor in adults with a significant increase in incidence in recent years.
Objective: This study investigates the role of interleukin-8 in thyroid cancer patients before and after treatment with radiotherapy and study association of it with tumor progression and inflammatory response as part of the tumor microenvironment.
Subjects and Methods: A total of 45 thyroid cancer patients (21 male and 24 female) in the educational laboratories/Medical City Hospital/Baghdad from February to April 2025. participated based on the recommendations of the specialist physician after the results of clinical examination, X-ray imaging, and laboratory tests, and 18 healthy controls participated in the study. IL-8 levels were measured before and after treatment with radiotherapy using an ELISA kit, and statistical analyses were performed to assess differences between groups while taking into account demographic characteristics
Result: Thyroid cancer patients showed significantly elevated levels of interleukin-8 compared to controls; IL-8 levels increased significantly after radiotherapy, indicating an enhanced inflammatory response.
Conclusion: The results emphasize the potential role of interleukin-8 as a biomarker for assessing thyroid cancer progression and response to radiotherapy, highlighting its role in the tumor microenvironment and its implications for patient management.
References
Hu J, Yuan IJ, Mirshahidi S, Simental A, Lee SC, Yuan X. Thyroid carcinoma: phenotypic features, underlying biology and potential relevance for targeting therapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021; 22(4): 1950. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041950
Luo Z, Xu J, Xu D, Xu J, Zhou R, Deng K, et al. Mechanism of immune escape mediated by receptor tyrosine kinase KIT in thyroid cancer. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease 2023; 11(7): e851. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.851
Park B, Kim C, Kim J. Recent advances in ultrasound and photoacoustic analysis for thyroid cancer diagnosis. Advanced Physics Research 2023; 2(4): 2200070. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/apxr.202200070
Lim HyeYeun LH, Devesa SS, Sosa JA, Check D, Kitahara CM. Trends in thyroid cancer incidence and mortality in the United States 1974-2013.
Sekar MD, Gochhait D, Kamalanathan S. Critical appraisal of the WHO 2022 classification of thyroid cancer. Thyroid Research and Practice 2024; 20(1): 8-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/trp.trp_29_23
Neophytou CM, Panagi M, Stylianopoulos T, Papageorgis P. The Role of Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Metastasis: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13(9): 2053. Published 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13092053
Mir MA, Rashid M, Jan N. The interleukin-8 pathway in cancer. InCytokine and Chemokine Networks in Cancer. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore 2023; pp. 165-190.
Matsushima K, Yang D, Oppenheim JJ. Interleukin-8: An evolving chemokine. Cytokine 2022; 153: 155828. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2022.155828
Chen CS, Luo SD, Chang YH, Chou CK, Chi SY, Wu SC, et al. Salvage radiofrequency ablation followed by external beam radiotherapy for inoperable recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer. International Journal of Hyperthermia 2024; 41(1): 2358054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02656736.2024.2358054
Wang Y, Wang Y, Pan J, Gan L, Xue J. Ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis in cancer: Crucial cell death types in radiotherapy and post-radiotherapy immune activation. Radiotherapy and Oncology 2023; 184: 109689. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109689
Jarosz-Biej M, Smolarczyk R, Cichoń T, Kułach N. Tumor microenvironment as a “game changer” in cancer radiotherapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2019; 20(13): 3212. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20133212
Li P, Ding Y, Liu M, Wang W, Li X. Sex disparities in thyroid cancer: a SEER population study. Gland Surgery 2021; 10(12): 3200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/gs-21-545
Du L, Zhao Z, Zheng R, Li H, Zhang S, Li Ret al. Epidemiology of thyroid cancer: incidence and mortality in China, 2015. Frontiers in Oncology 2020; 10: 1702. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.01702
Suteau V, Munier M, Briet C, Rodien P. Sex bias in differentiated thyroid cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021; 22(23): 12992. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222312992
Rahbari R, Zhang L, Kebebew E. Thyroid cancer gender disparity. Future Oncology 2010; 6(11): 1771-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2217/fon.10.127
Colonna M, Borson-Chazot F, Delafosse P, Schvartz C, Guizard AV. Progression of incidence and estimate of net survival from papillary thyroid cancers diagnosed between 2008 and 2016 in France. InAnnales d'Endocrinologie. Elsevier Masson 2020; 81(6): 530-538. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ando.2020.11.006
Wang J, Yu F, Shang Y, Ping Z, Liu L. Thyroid cancer: incidence and mortality trends in China, 2005–2015. Endocrine 2020; 68: 163-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-020-02207-6
Kitahara CM, Schneider AB. Epidemiology of thyroid cancer. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 2022; 31(7): 1284-97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-1440
Heer EV, Harper AS, Sung H, Jemal A, Fidler‐Benaoudia MM. Emerging cancer incidence trends in Canada: the growing burden of young adult cancers. Cancer 2020; 126(20): 4553-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.33050
Vaccarella S, Lortet-Tieulent J, Colombet M, Davies L, Stiller CA, Schüz J, et al. Global patterns and trends in incidence and mortality of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents: a population-based study. The lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 2021; 9(3): 144-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30401-0
Krajewska J, Kukulska A, Oczko-Wojciechowska M, Kotecka-Blicharz A, Drosik-Rutowicz K, Haras-Gil M, et al. Early diagnosis of low-risk papillary thyroid cancer results rather in overtreatment than a better survival. Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020; 11: 571421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.571421
Bhalla S, Kaur H, Kaur R, Sharma S, Raghava GP. Expression based biomarkers and models to classify early and late-stage samples of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. PloS One 2020; 15(4): e0231629. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231629
Mir MA, Rashid M, Jan N. The interleukin-8 pathway in cancer. InCytokine and Chemokine Networks in Cancer. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore 2023; 20: pp. 165-190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4657-0_6
Kobawala TP, Patel GH, Gajjar DR, Patel KN, Thakor PB, Parekh UB, et al. Clinical utility of serum interleukin‐8 and interferon‐alpha in thyroid diseases. Journal of Thyroid Research 2011; 2011(1): 270149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/270149
Martins MB, Marcello MA, de Assis Batista F, Peres KC, Meneghetti M, Ward MA, et al. Serum interleukin measurement may help identify thyroid cancer patients with active disease. Clinical Biochemistry 2018; 52: 1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2017.10.003
Provatopoulou X, Georgiadou D, Sergentanis TN, Kalogera E, Spyridakis J, Gounaris A, et al. Interleukins as markers of inflammation in malignant and benign thyroid disease. Inflammation Research 2014; 63: 667-74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-014-0739-z
Ramadan RA, Ragab W, Assaad RS, Shaaban AE, Fayad AI. Identification of serum biomarker panel to differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules using multiplex bead assay. Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute 2020; 32: 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43046-020-00046-0
Kurimoto C, Inaba H, Ariyasu H, Iwakura H, Ueda Y, Uraki S, et al. Predictive and sensitive biomarkers for thyroid dysfunctions during treatment with immune‐checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer Science 2020; 111(5): 1468-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.14363
Fousek K, Horn LA, Palena C. Interleukin-8: A chemokine at the intersection of cancer plasticity, angiogenesis, and immune suppression. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2021; 219: 107692. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107692
Pati S, Irfan W, Jameel A, Ahmed S, Shahid RK. Obesity and cancer: a current overview of epidemiology, pathogenesis, outcomes, and management. Cancers 2023; 15(2): 485. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15020485
Zhao J, Wen J, Wang S, Yao J, Liao L, Dong J. Association between adipokines and thyroid carcinoma: a meta-analysis of case-control studies. BMC Cancer 2020; 20: 1-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-020-07299-x
Economides A, Giannakou K, Mamais I, Economides PA, Papageorgis P. Association between aggressive clinicopathologic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma and body mass index: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Endocrinology 2021; 12: 692879. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.692879
McKelvey KJ, Hudson AL, Back M, Eade T, Diakos CI. Radiation, inflammation and the immune response in cancer. Mammalian Genome 2018; 29(11): 843-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-018-9777-0
Guo H, Yu R, Zhang H, Wang W. Cytokine, chemokine alterations and immune cell infiltration in Radiation-induced lung injury: Implications for prevention and management. International Immunopharmacology 2024; 126: 111263. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111263
Zhang C, Liang Z, Ma S, Liu X. Radiotherapy and cytokine storm: risk and mechanism. Frontiers in Oncology 2021; 11: 670464. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.670464
Ponomarev DB, Stepanov AV, Seleznyov AB, Ivchenko EV. Ionizing radiation and inflammatory reactions: formation mechanisms and implications. Biology Bulletin 2023; 50(12): 3219-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S106235902312018X
Diegeler S, Hellweg CE. Intercellular communication of tumor cells and immune cells after exposure to different ionizing radiation qualities. Frontiers in Immunology 2017; 8: 664. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00664
Najdaghi S, Razi S, Rezaei N. An overview of the role of interleukin-8 in colorectal cancer. Cytokine 2020; 135: 155205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155205
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.