Project title: Center of Excellence for Cancer Research (2014 to 2017), National Taiwan University Hospital

Program title: Integration of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for improvement of prognosis in pancreatic cancer

Utilization of Serum Cytokine Change for Prediction of Chemotherapy Response in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Shih-Hung Yang 1, 2, 4, Sung-Hsin Kuo1, Yu-Wen Tien3, Ann-Lii Cheng 1,2, Kun-Huei Yeh 1,4

楊士弘 ，郭頌鑫，田郁文，鄭安理，葉坤輝

1Department of Oncology, 2Internal Medicine, 3Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH), 4Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine; No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 10002, Taiwan

Background: Extensive infiltration of immune cells is observed in the stroma of pancreatic cancer tissue. These cells have antitumor, protumoral, or both effects. In this study, we examined the serial changes of serum type 1 T helper (Th1), type 2 T helper (Th2) cell, and inflammatory cytokines induced by chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.

Methods: We prospectively collected serum samples from patients with advanced or recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma before and four weeks after the initiation of first-line and second-line chemotherapy since 2014. We applied a multiplex cytokine beads array to analyze the serum for Th1, Th2, and inflammation-associated cytokines.

Results: We chose 4 advanced/recurrent patients with different responses to first-line and/or second-line chemotherapy for analysis. The dynamic change of Th1 response (IL-2, IL-12p40), Th2 response (IL-9, IL-13), and inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β) was associated with chemotherapy response.

Conclusion: The early changes of serum Th1, Th2, and inflammatory cytokines are associated with chemotherapy response. Further exploration of the dynamic change of the cytokine panel for early prediction of treatment response in advanced/recurrent pancreatic cancer is warranted.