Assessment of Plasma Levels of Interferon Gamma among Patients with Malignant Tumours

Abstract

Introduction: The incidence of cancer is rising worldwide. Recent findings have shown that an effective immune system is crucial for the elimination of malignant tumours. Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is central to the functioning of the immune system during carcinogenesis. The primary objective of this study was to assess the plasma level of interferon-gamma (IFNγ) among patients with malignant tumours.

Method: This was a comparative cross-sectional study involving 180 participants, 90 of them with malignancies involving the head and neck region, breast, ovary, lymph node, cervix and prostate. Plasma interferon-gamma was measured by ELISA and data obtained was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 20.0).

Results: Baseline plasma IFNγ level was found to be comparatively higher in our environment and participants with malignant tumours had comparatively higher levels. A higher stage of malignancy was found to be associated with a higher level of plasma IFNγ. Participants with malignant tumours of the breast had a significantly elevated IFNγ level (p=0.022) when compared with apparently healthy participants. There was a negative correlation between CD4+ T cell count and plasma IFNγ level and females had a higher mean IFNγ level than males. Morbidities like depression, heart failure and weight loss were found to be associated with higher levels of IFNγ in participants with malignant tumours.

Conclusion and significance: The statistically significant elevated plasma IFNγ level observed in participants with breast cancer, a disease with diverse and complex biological behaviour could point to the immune depressant potential of this cytokine given that this group of participants had the highest number of individuals with advanced and metastatic disease in the study.

Further studies: Plasma IFNγ level could serve as a marker of immune ‘activation’ or ‘depression’ in individuals with breast and possibly other cancers. It can also be ‘complexed’ with other systemic agents when immune stimulation will be beneficial for the patient.