TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha after red blood cell transfusion in colorectal cancer patients.

UNLABELLED: Operations in patients with cancer are associated with blood transfusion to restore normal physiology. Blood transfusion can cause the immunomodulatory effect. There is lack of the literature data about influence of blood transfusion on the blood serum levels of cytokines TGF-beta and TNF-alpha, though these cytokines are important in neoplasia development. The aim of our study was to estimate changes in the concentration of cytokines TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha in colorectal cancer patients' peripheral blood after surgery and allogenic red blood cell transfusion. METHODS: Venous blood of 64 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma in stage III was tested before and after the surgery. Concentration of cytokines TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha was quantitatively measured by ELISA. RESULTS: TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha concentration significantly increased in the group of transfused colorectal cancer patients (before operation: TGF-beta 10.1 +/- 1.3 ng/ml, TNF-alpha 20.9 +/- 1.7 pg/ml and after operation and RBC transfusion: TGF-beta 15.9 +/- 1.7 ng/ml; TNF-alpha 27.0 +/- 2.1 pg/ml). Statistical analysis has shown that serum levels of cytokines didn't change significantly after surgery in non-transfused patients group. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that levels of multipotent cytokines TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha were elevated after red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in colorectal cancer patients.