Prognostic Role of Interleukin-23 in Prostate Adenocarcinoma: Comparison with Gallium-68 Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen-11 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Findings

Abstract

Introduction: Androgen deprivation therapy is the first line of treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC). However, PC progressed in most patients when it becomes resistant to castration. This study aimed to investigate the possible role of interleukin-23 (IL-23), a cytokine expressed in various cancers, in the development of resistance to castration and prognosis in PC. Methods: Twenty-three patients with PC were consecutively enrolled in the study to undergo gallium-68 (Ga-68) prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Among those patients, 13 were newly diagnosed as treatment-naive (ND), while 10 were evaluated for disease progression under hormonotheraphy. Before PET/CT, 5 mL of venous blood samples was obtained from the study participants. Serum levels of IL-23 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using an IL-23 receptor kit. The relationship of ND and castration-resistant (CR) groups with serum IL-23 level and the correlation of the rate of lymph node involvement, skeletal and distant metastasis Gleason scores, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the prostate gland with IL-23 levels were analyzed. Results: Ga 68 PSMA PET/CT revealed that 13 (56.5%) patients had skeletal metastases, 10 (43.5%) had non-pelvic nodal metastasis, and 3 (13%) had distant-organ metastasis. The difference between the serum IL-23 levels of the ND group and the CR group was not significant (p=0.664). The IL-23 levels were not significantly different between patients with and without metastatic disease. Further, no significant association was found among age, IL-23 levels, and total PSA levels as well as primary tumor SUV(max )and serum IL-23 levels. Conclusion: Although a significant correlation was found between serum IL-23 levels and the development of castration resistance, the metastatic stage and SUVmax were not proven decisively. Thus, it can be assumed that IL-23 has no major role in the development of castration resistance and prognosis in PC.