BACKGROUND: The development and progression of prostate cancer are multistep processes involving several growth factors, hormones, and cytokines. This study aimed to measure the serum concentrations of different cytokines and determine their correlation with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and disease grade in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2023 to March 2024 at the Clinic of Oncology of the University Hospital Center in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Altogether, 50 male patients with prostate adenocarcinoma were included, of whom 28 had no proven metastases (PC group) and 22 had metastatic disease (MPC group). Serum concentrations of total (tPSA), free (fPSA), and complexed (cPSA) PSA were determined using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, whereas serum concentrations of cytokines were measured using a flow cytometry bead-based assay.

RESULTS: The MPC group had higher serum tPSA, fPSA, and cPSA levels than the PC group. The PC group had significantly higher serum levels of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 than the MPC group (P=0.008). In the PC group, serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10 significantly correlated with cPSA. In the MPC group, serum concentrations of IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-23 significantly correlated with disease grade.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study emphasizes the importance of MCP-1 in the development of prostate cancer, while IL-10 was the only cytokine whose serum level significantly correlated with cPSA. Serum concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-23 may serve as potential biomarkers for disease grade.

Keywords: Cytokines, Prostate-Specific Antigen, Prostatic Neoplasms, serum, Humans, Male, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Grading, Adenocarcinoma, Biomarkers, Tumor, Interleukin-10, Bosnia and Herzegovina, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Chemokine CCL2