Cytokine profiles as predictive biomarkers for treatment outcomes in advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing PD-1 blockade immunochemotherapy: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Immunotherapy, specifically PD-1 blockade, is a promising treatment for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). However, predicting patient response is challenging. Cytokines, key immune response regulators, could be important biomarkers for forecasting patient outcomes and susceptibility to PD-1 blockade immunochemotherapy in AGC. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the potential of cytokine profiles as predictive biomarkers for treatment outcomes in patients with AGC undergoing immunochemotherapy. Meta-analysis. Original studies on the evaluation of various serum samples of cytokines in AGC patients after immunochemotherapy were searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, with a focus on literature published up to October 31, 2023. Data from multiple studies were pooled to analyze the impact of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IFN-γ expression on treatment outcomes using RevMan 5.4.1. Prospero ID: CRD42024557837. Five studies were included. In AGC patients receiving immunochemotherapy, high levels of IL-4 were correlated with enhanced PFS following therapy. In contrast, there were no significant differences observed in the expression of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ for PFS in AGC after treatment. Notably, elevated IL-6 expression was significantly associated with poorer OS in AGC patients undergoing immunochemotherapy. The findings suggest that expression levels of cytokines, particularly IL-4 and IL-6, play a significant role in predicting treatment outcomes in AGC patients undergoing immunochemotherapy. Further research is warranted to validate these results and elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving these associations.