Diagnostic value of interleukin-8 in colon cancer: Prospective, case-control study

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a pro-inflammatory chemokine, is implicated in angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis. However, its diagnostic and prognostic significance in colorectal cancer remains unclear. AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of serum IL-8 in patients with newly diagnosed colon adenocarcinoma. METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, 44 treatment-naïve patients with colon adenocarcinoma and 44 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Preoperative serum IL-8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analyses included univariate and multivariate models, odds ratios, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: = 0.005). ROC curve analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.68, with both sensitivity and specificity of 63.6% at a cut-off value of 42.3 ng/L. Multivariate analysis confirmed IL-8 as an independent predictor (odds ratio = 1.050), with each 1 ng/L increase conferring a 5% higher risk. No significant associations were observed with tumor stage, location, or histopathological features. CONCLUSION: IL-8 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker in colon adenocarcinoma, and its potential prognostic role warrants validation in larger, multicenter cohorts.