Proinflammatory cytokines in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and non-XP cancer patients—a pilot study

Abstract

Aim: Testing the feasibility of the determination to what extent the inability to repair DNA lesions in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients, contributes to the alteration of immune responses, in the course of skin carcinogenesis. Methods: Serum samples from 11 (five XP, six non-XP) bearing skin carcinomas and from three healthy donors, were available for the quantification of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN‐γ and TNF-α cytokines concentrations. We used kits for ELISA test, by a non-competitive sandwich method. Statistical analysis of the results was performed, using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, with an accuracy of 5%. Results: Our results showed that the majority of XP and non-XP cancer patients showed a significant increase in the secretion of TNF-α cytokine above healthy individuals (controls). TNF-α was also found to be significantly high in the serum of XP patients above that reported for the studied non-XP cancer patients. At the same time, TNF-α was not detected in the serum of non-XP and of healthy controls. This increase in the expression level of TNF-α was statistically significant between XP and non-XP patients, and between XP patients and controls. In contrast, there were no significant differences between XP patients and healthy controls, as well as between XP and non-XP patients, for the level of serum IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 cytokines. On the other hand, we found no detectable levels of IFN‐γ cytokine in the serum of all the studied subgroups. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrate a general tendency to secrete inflammatory cytokines, in the cancerous groups of patients (XP and non-XP), in comparison to healthy controls, while a significantly higher propensity to develop inflammation, in XP than in non-XP cancer patients.