Reduced Expression of IL-1β and IL-18 Proinflammatory Interleukins Increases the Risk of Developing Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to analyze the gene expression profile of the proinflammatory<br />interleukins, (IL-1β and IL-18) in patients with premalignant lesions and cervical cancer. Methods: Total IL-1β and<br />IL-18 mRNA was quantified by qPCR to obtain the expression data in cervical tissues. A total of 74 cervical biopsies<br />were obtained from women undergoing a colposcopy. The samples were divided into: normal (19), low level lesions<br />(LSIL) or NIC I (17), high level lesions (HSIL) or CIN II and CIN III (29) and cancer (9). The normal cervical tissue<br />samples were included as controls. The OR and 95% CI were calculated for the determination of the risk of progression<br />between each type of lesion and cancer using logistic regression. Results: The results showed that an increase in the<br />risk of progression of pre-neoplastic lesions to cancer was between 2.5 and 2.08 times higher in women with lower<br />IL-1β and IL-18 expression, respectively. Conclusions: This study provided evidence that IL-1β and IL-18 are potential<br />biomarkers that can be explored in further studies for monitoring the evolution of pre-neoplastic lesions and avoiding<br />overtreatment or undertreatment of the patients.