Overexpression and Interactions of Interleukin-10, Transforming Growth Factor β, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background Sharing the role of immune suppression, interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are critical genes in several aspects of tumorigenesis. To elucidate the role of these cytokines in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), their relative mRNA expression in tumoral tissue compared with corresponding tumor-free tissue was evaluated.