Serum Cytokines in Gestational Trophoblastic Diseases

Abstract

Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assayed by ¹²⁵I immunoradiometric assay in sera of 42 cases of vesicular mole (VM), 24 cases of choriocarcinoma and 23 normal pregnant women at their first trimester (controls). According to pathologic diagnosis and serial serum hCGβ assays, the cases with VM and choriocarcinoma were subdivided into remission and progressive tumor groups. The progressive tumor groups—both VM and choriocarcinoma—showed marked elevations of serum IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα. For choriocarcinoma in remission this elevation was considerably less pronounced. The VM cases in remission had only a slight increase of the mean serum IL-6 value and none of the cases had elevated IL-1β or TNF values. These results may indicate that serum IL-1β and TNF-α assays are valuable biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). Moreover, normal values of these cytokines may rule out high-risk GTD, whereas markedly elevated values may indicate poor prognosis.