Recently, interleukin (IL)-32 has been demonstrated to represent a novel biomarker for evaluating the prognosis of patients with gastric and lung cancer; however, its clinical significance in colon cancer remains unknown. In the present study, the IL-32 expression in 60 patients with colon cancer was examined with an immunohistochemistry assay. IL-32 expression was determined in 37 (61.67%) patients with colon cancer. Additionally, IL-32 was associated with tumor size and Dukes' stage. By using the Kaplan-Meier method, patients with positive IL-32 expression had shorter overall survival time, compared with those with negative IL-32 expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that IL-32 could be an independent prognostic factor in patients with colon cancer; therefore, IL-32 may be a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for colon cancer.
Keywords: colon cancer; interleukin-32; prognosis.