Screening of cellular immunity of T cells in endometrial cancer patients via measurement of interferon gamma, interleukin 22, interleukin 17, interleukin 13, interleukin 10, interleukin 4, interleukin 2, and tumor necrosis factor alpha cytokines

Abstract

Background and objective: Endometrial cancer (EC) is considered the sixth most prevalent cancer among women worldwide, with over 400,000 new cases annually, and both its incidence and mortality rates are rising. This study attempted to examine the concentrations of interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, IL-22), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in Kurdish women diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Methods: Seventy patients were included in the study, from which random samples were selected for testing by ELISA multiplex enzyme immunoassay. Serum was separated from the patients' peripheral blood. Results: The findings revealed a significant (p <0.05) increase in mean concentration of IFN-γ (55±0.2 pg/mL), IL-2 (122±0.33 pg/mL), TNF-α (18.14±9.06 pg/mL), IL-17 (3.06±1.49 pg/mL), IL-22 (10.34±2.34 pg/mL), and IL-4 (9.75±11.35 pg/mL) in patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer compared with their respective healthy individuals, whereas no significant difference was found in the level of IL-10 (3.02±1 pg/mL) in endometrial cancer patients compared with healthy individuals (3.00±0.3 pg/mL). Finally, IL-13 levels showed a significant decrease in EC patients (0.99±0.11 pg/mL) compared with healthy individuals (2.1±0.2 pg/mL). Conclusion: The study demonstrates a significant elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-4) and a marked reduction of IL-13 in endometrial cancer patients, suggesting their involvement in tumorigenesis and local immune dysregulation. IL-10 levels remained unchanged, indicating complex immune dynamics.