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Table 3 Most cytokines are abundant in high-grade tumors

From: Oestrogen receptor negative breast cancers exhibit high cytokine content

Biological markers

Grade I (n = 17)

Grade II (n = 56)

Grade III (n = 32)

P

IL-1β

0.8

(0–260)

2.6

(0–102)

4.7

(0–194)

0.025

IL-2

0.9

(0–4.6)

1.2

(0–42.6)

1.4

(0–6.6)

NS

IL-4

3.4

(0–20.1)

0.6

(0–30.2)

3.9

(0–99.6)

0.037

IL-6

11.7

(7.8–4,312)

14.1

(4.4–190)

30.6

(8.8–26,487)

< 0.001

IL-8

43.9

(9.1–11,281)

35.4

(0–8,358)

186

(0.3–15,890)

< 0.001

IL-10

0.2

(0–1.6)

0.2

(0–5.6)

0.7

(0–4.6)

0.030

IL-12 (p70)

1.4

(0–5.3)

2.1

(0–19.3)

2.9

(0.7 -17.2)

0.045

IL-13

4.1

(3.4–21.4)

4.2

(3.0–394)

4.2

(1.6–35.5)

NS

G-CSF

13.9

(7.1–87.3)

18.9

(5.3–110)

22.2

(9.9–79.2)

NS

IFN-γ

26.8

(19.8–270)

25.6

(17.1–1,279)

28.7

(15.5–324)

NS

MCP-1

96.3

(22.8–1,208)

91.3

(0–22,451)

201

(24.4–37,117)

0.006

MIP-1β

451

(44.6–2,674)

496

(42.6–14,439)

776

(114–13,287)

0.011

TNF-α

7.15

(5.9–28.0)

7.1

(5.8–120)

7.8

(6.2–37.2)

NS

  1. Values are expressed as median (range; fg/μg). G-CSF, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; MCP, monocyte chemoattractant protein; MIP, macrophage inflammatory protein; NS, not significant; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.