Differential Cytokine Profiles in Prostate Cancer Under Treatment: Implications for Prognosis and Synergistic Therapy Design

TL;DR

This study explores how different prostate cancer treatments affect immune responses, showing distinct cytokine patterns that could help predict outcomes and guide future therapies.

Contribution

The study identifies treatment-specific cytokine profiles in urine and plasma, offering new insights into immune responses post-prostate cancer therapy.

Findings

Cryoablation leads to sustained increases in urinary IL-8 and IL-10.

SBRT and cryoablation show delayed IL-6 peaks compared to earlier peaks after RP.

Plasma cytokine levels are significantly influenced by treatment method.

Abstract

Localized prostate cancer can be managed using total or focal cryotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), or radical prostatectomy (RP). The immune response to these therapies remains poorly understood despite its role in recovery, disease control, and recurrence. This exploratory study found distinct urine and plasma cytokine patterns by treatment and visit, highlighting treatment-specific inflammatory responses and their potential prognostic value. We documented sustained urinary IL-8/IL-10 rises post-cryoablation, and delayed IL-6 peaks with SBRT/cryoablation vs. earlier RP peaks. Our findings underscore key targets for larger future studies.

Background/Objectives: Localized prostate cancer may be treated with total cryotherapy, focal cryotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), or radical prostatectomy (RP). However, the immune response to these therapies is not fully understood despite its potential importance in determining extent and timing of recovery, disease control and cancer recurrence rate. This exploratory study measured cytokine expression changes in the urine and blood of prostate cancer patients as a means of monitoring immune response to these four alternative treatments. Methods: Urine and blood multiplex ELISA cytokine assays were performed in 37 men with histologically confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma before, 2 weeks after, and 3 months after therapy. Results: Treatment method alone significantly affected levels of plasma but not urine cytokines. Both plasma and urine showed significant changes across visit number and significant interactions between treatment and visit number for some cytokines. In plasma, SBRT was associated with the highest cytokine levels when compared to RP and cryotherapy. Urinary IL-8 levels increased over time following cryoablation, whereas they remained relatively stable across visits after SBRT and RP (β = 1.51, 95% CI [0.89–2.13], p < 0.001). Urinary IL-6 levels reached their highest point at visit three following both SBRT and cryoablation, whereas after RP, the peak occurred earlier at visit two (β = 0.07, 95%CI [0.04–0.11], p < 0.001). The pattern of plasma levels of IL-10 differed by time elapsed after treatment depending upon treatment group (β = −0.05, 95%CI [−0.08–−0.01], p = 0.005). Conclusions: These findings show that the prostate cancer treatment method employed may affect post-operative inflammatory mechanisms. This small study encourages expansion to determine the prognostic utility of urine and plasma cytokine expression patterns based on prostate cancer treatment and time elapsed following treatment. Understanding these changes may inform a personalized medicine approach to prostate cancer immunotherapies.

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