Assessment of Serum Interleukin-۳۸ Levels in Iranian Patients with Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Cancers: A Case-Control Study

Background: Similar to other cancers, the development of salivary gland cancers (SGCs) is influenced by the tumor microenvironment and controlled by the host's immune system. Interleukin-۳۸ (IL-۳۸) is highly expressed in inflammatory conditions to prevent excessive inflammatory responses and tissue injury; however, its role in SGCs remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate IL-۳۸ serum levels in Iranian patients with benign and malignant SGCs and in healthy individuals to explore its potential as a diagnostic biomarker for SGCs.Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, IL-۳۸ levels were measured in serum samples from ۱۲۰ patients with SGCs (۶۴ benign and ۵۶ malignant cases) and ۶۰ age- and sex-matched healthy control participants using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.Results: There was a significant difference in IL-۳۸ serum levels between patients and the control group (۴۹.۱ ± ۶.۲ ng/L vs. ۳۸.۶ ± ۶.۸ ng/L, p < ۰.۰۰۰۱), but not between benign and malignant cases (۴۸.۲ ± ۷.۱ ng/L vs. ۵۰.۲ ± ۴.۸ ng/L, p = ۰.۰۸۵). A significant negative correlation was observed between SGC size and IL-۳۸ serum levels (R = −۰.۱۹۵, p = ۰.۰۴۲). However, IL-۳۸ was not associated with other clinicopathologic factors, including gender, age, tumor type, lesion location, and tumor stage (p > ۰.۰۵).Conclusion: This study, for the first time, supports the clinical value of IL-۳۸ serum levels as a valuable biomarker for diagnosing patients with SGCs. Focusing on IL-۳۸ production or its release mechanism could offer therapeutic benefits for these patients. However, further research with a larger sample is required.

کلیدواژه ها:

Salivary Gland Neoplasms ، Interleukin-۳۸ ، Prognosis