Cancer cachexia is a syndrome characterized by weight and muscle loss and functional impairment, strongly influencing survival in cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to establish the role of saliva cytokine measurement in cancer cachexia investigation and define two potential independent salivary biomarkers of the condition. Methods: serum and saliva specimens were obtained from 78 patients. Forty-six patients were non-cachectic, and 32 patients were cachectic (per SCRINIO group criteria), all with metastatic solid tumors. Commercial ELISA kits were used to determine the salivary and serum concentrations of interleukin 13 (IL-13) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in two patient groups and healthy controls. Laboratory values were obtained from the hospital information system, and weight and height were measured at the time of sampling. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in saliva IL-13 concentrations but no difference in serum concentrations. Statistically significant differences were also observed between the groups in saliva and serum concentrations of TGF-β. Logistic regression analysis has identified salivary IL-13 and TGF-β as independent factors for cancer cachexia. Conclusions: We demonstrated saliva as a valuable specimen for cachexia investigation and established IL-13 and TGF-β as potential cancer cachexia biomarkers. Further research is needed to evaluate these findings.
癌症恶病质是一种以体重减轻、肌肉流失及功能受损为特征的综合征，严重影响癌症患者的生存率。本研究旨在探讨唾液细胞因子检测在癌症恶病质研究中的作用，并确定两种潜在的独立唾液生物标志物。方法：收集78例患者的血清及唾液样本，其中46例为非恶病质患者，32例为恶病质患者（依据SCRINIO工作组标准），所有患者均患有转移性实体肿瘤。采用商业化ELISA试剂盒检测两组患者及健康对照者唾液与血清中白细胞介素13（IL-13）及转化生长因子β（TGF-β）的浓度。实验室数据来源于医院信息系统，身高体重在采样时同步测量。结果：组间唾液IL-13浓度存在统计学显著差异，但血清浓度无差异。唾液与血清中TGF-β浓度在组间亦呈现统计学显著差异。逻辑回归分析确认唾液IL-13与TGF-β为癌症恶病质的独立影响因素。结论：本研究证实唾液可作为恶病质研究的重要样本，并确立IL-13与TGF-β作为潜在的癌症恶病质生物标志物，相关发现仍需进一步研究验证。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家