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Calais da Silva et al. Systemic humoral responses during BCG treatment

in situ can suggest patients at risk for bladder cancer been suggested through the analysis of IL-2 and IFN-γ
relapses after a single course of BCG. Yet, despite mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells during
[19]
efforts to analyze the immune response in bladder BCG treatment. IL-2 mRNA is increased in patients
tissue before and after BCG therapy, [4,7-9] there are who responded with remission. [14]
currently no gold standard biomarkers to predict how
effective or beneficial is the BCG-induced antitumor In this study, we have extended this methodology
immune response. This knowledge is important to and analyzed the profile of several key molecules
identify patients who may require more aggressive expressed by blood cells in NMIBC patients treated
treatments such as cystectomy. [20] with BCG. Expression was analyzed before and after
(24 h interval) the 1st and the 6th week instillation,
A mode of predicting response to BCG therapy has to assess fast (within 24 h) and prolonged changes

Figure 2: Expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, GNLY and Perf genes was significantly altered in the study population after BCG instillation.
The relative mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, GNLY, and Perf were evaluated by real time PCR, as described in the Methods section.
mRNA was obtained from blood samples of 58 patients, collected before (1WBT) and 24 h after (1WAT) the BCG treatment performed
1 week after TURBT and/or before (6WBT) and 24 h after (6WAT) the BCG treatment performed 6 weeks after TURBT. Values were
calculated by formula 2 -∆Ct *1,000 and infer the number of mRNA molecules of a certain gene per 1,000 molecules of the endogenous
control (β-actin). Statistical significances (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.001 and ***P < 0.0001) refer to the differences between samples collected
before (1WBT or 6WBT) and 24 h after (1WAT or 6WAT) BCG instillation. When not labelled, no significant differences were identified.
BCG: Bacille Calmette-Guérin; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; TURBT: transurethral resection of the bladder tumor
122 Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment ¦ Volume 3 ¦ July 14, 2017