The relationship between chronic inflammatory factors and sera haptoglobin types in patients suffering from bladder cancer

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the expression of chronic inflammatory factors [C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α] and Haptoglobin (Hp) in newly diagnosed, untreated non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients with different stages/grades of malignancy as well as evaluating the diagnostic value of Hp phenotypes (Hp1-1,Hp1-2 and Hp2-2) in NMIBC. Methods: Blood samples were collected from patient (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Serum levels of inflammatory factors/Hp were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) kits. Serum Hp phenotypes were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE). In addition, the presence of α1, α2 and β chains in samples was confirmed by Mass Spectrometry. Results: The levels of chronic inflammatory factors and Hp were significantly higher in samples obtained from cancer patients compared to the control group (p<0.001). Also, a significant relationship was found between the levels of chronic inflammatory factors/Hp with different stages/grades of the tumors in patients with NMIBC (p<0.001). Frequency distribution of the Hp phenotypes between healthy and NMIBC groups was significantly different (p<0.05). In addition, it was observed that there was a significant association between the elevated levels of IL-6/TNF-α with the increased risk of NMIBC [Odds Ratios (OR) 5.93 and 2.39, respectively]. The results showed that individuals with the Hp2-2 phenotype are highly in the NMIBC risk (6.4 folds; p<0.05).