Increased serum level of IL-27 and its clinical significance in patients with colorectal cancer

Purpose Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer with increasing mortality in recent years. Many studies have reported the dual role of IL-27 in different malignancies. This study has investigated the role of serum level of IL-27 in CRC and its correlation with different clinicopathological features of the disease. Methods In this case-control study, IL-27 serum levels were measured in 70 CRC patients and 70 controls by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and analyzed using SPSS. Results The IL-27 serum levels were remarkably higher in CRC patients compared to controls (p = 0.012). There was no significant relationship between IL-27 levels and different features of CRC patients, including age, lymph node involvement, tumor site, tumor stage, and grade. Conclusion Our results suggest that the serum level of IL-27 may play a role in the pathogenesis of CRC. Therefore, further studies with larger samples of different CRC stages can be conducted to provide a better perspective.