Alterations of Bronchial Cytokines in Bronchial Carcinoid Tumor Perioperatively

As bronchial carcinoids are known to be notably rare, adequate histochemical investigations couldn’t
have been carried out on these types of tumors hitherto. In this study, we investigated bronchial
cytokines in a carcinoid tumor localized in the left main bronchus. Bronchial resection and
reconstruction was performed without the lung resection. Bronchial lavage samples were obtained
from both sides of main bronchial system preoperatively and postoperatively. TNF- α, IL- 8 and IL- 6
levels were measured by ELİSA. Preoperative TNF- α and IL- 8 levels were found to be 2-folds and 5-
folds higher on the tumor side respectively (TNF- α; 14.184 pg/ml and IL- 8; 3359.86 pg/ml) compared
to tumor-free bronchial system (TNF- α; 6.886 pg/ml, IL- 8; 615.072 pg/ml). Interestingly, both
cytokine levels were found to be equal and within normal ranges on both sides subsequent to
bronchial resection and reconstruction. There were no significant difference in IL- 6 levels between
two bronchial systems preoperatively (IL- 6 levels of right bronchus, 16.44 pg/ml; levels of left
bronchus, 19.11 pg/ml). However, there was more than four-fold increase in postoperative levels (IL-
6 level; 89.41 pg/ml). In this chapter, we found that preoperative TNF- α and IL- 8 levels were higher
compared to the postoperative ones; whereas IL- 6 levels showed a significant increase,
postoperatively. These findings led us through the idea that carcinoid tumors might be activating the
inflammatory process among TNF- α and IL- 8 and the surgical bronchoplastic procedure could be the
cause of enhanced IL-6 response.