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Abstract. Penson RT, Kronish K, Duan Z, Feller A, Stark P, Cook SE, Duska LR, Fuller AJ, Goodman AK, Nikrui N, MacNeill KM, Matulonis UA, Preffer FI, Seiden MV. Cytokines IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐8, MCP‐1, GM‐CSF and TNFα in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and their relationship to treatment with paclitaxel.

In vitro work suggests that cytokines may be important modulators of the cytotoxic effects of paclitaxel and subsequent drug resistance. This has been investigated in vivo in patients with ovarian cancer by ELISA. There was consistently elevated expression of IL‐6 and IL‐8 but not MCP‐1, IL‐1β, IL‐2, GM‐CSF or TNFα. Peritoneal fluid concentrations of IL‐6, IL‐8 and MCP‐1 were two to three logs greater than serum concentrations. Elevated concentrations of IL‐6 correlated with a poor final outcome (P = 0.039), and increased IL‐6 and IL‐8 correlated with a poor initial response to chemotherapy (P = 0 …