Evaluation of immune inhibitory cytokine profiles in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Objective:  The aim of this study was to detect expression of different cytokines in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) cells and normal ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells in vitro and the levels of those with elevated expression in the EOC patients, and to analyze the contribution of cytokine profiles to tumor immune deficiency. Materials and Methods:  Cytokine antibody array was used to detect cytokine profiles in two cell lines of EOC (SKOV3 and CaoV3), primarily cultured EOC and OSE cells. The levels of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-4, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in peritoneal fluids and sera in the patients with EOC and benign gynecological tumors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results:  The levels of LIF, IL-10, and IL-4 were detected two times higher in the culture supernatants of the EOC cell lines than those in OSE cells by cytokine antibody array. Both LIF and IL-10 levels were more increased in ascites of EOC patients than in those in benign gynecological tumor patients (P < 0.05). The level of IL-4 was not detectable in any samples of ascites or sera. No difference of TGF-β1 value was detected between patients with EOC and benign gynecological tumors. Conclusion:  Epithelium ovarian carcinoma cells can produce more LIF, IL-10 and IL-4 than OSE cells, and contribute to the elevated levels of those cytokines in EOC patients, which probably participates in the development of immune deficiency in the peritoneal cavity of EOC patients.