The application value of serum Th1/Th2 cytokines combined with tumour markers in the diagnosis of HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer

Background: To determine the efficacy of tumour markers in conjunction with serum helper T-cell 1 (Th1) and helper T-cell 2 (Th2) cytokines for the detection of HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer. Methods: 49 patients with HR-HPV-positive benign cervical diseases of the same age group who were admitted to the hospital between January 2020 and June 2024 were chosen as the control group, and 49 patients with HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer were chosen as the study group. Serum Th1/Th2 cytokine levels of patients with various clinicopathological characteristics in the study group were compared with the basic data, tumour markers, and serum Th1/Th2 cytokines [interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, interferon-g (IFN-g), and tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF-<span style="color: rgb(32, 33, 34); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250);">α</span>)] and tumour markers between the two groups. The association between tumour markers and serum Th1/Th2 cytokine levels in patients with HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer was examined using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) stages III-IV patients in the study group had greater serum levels of IL-10, IL-6, IFN-g, and TNF-<span style="color: rgb(32, 33, 34); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250);">α</span> than the control group (P< 0.05), and the levels of these substances in the patients with a myometrial invasion depth 1/2 were all higher than in the patients with a myometrial invasion depth <1/2 (P< 0.05). SCC-Ag, CA199, and there was a significant correlation (P< 0.05) between CYFRA21-1 levels and blood levels of IL-10, IL-6, IFN-g, and TNF-<span style="color: rgb(32, 33, 34); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250);">α</span> in patients with HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer. The AUCs of IL-10, IL-6, IFN-g and TNF-<span style="color: rgb(32, 33, 34); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250);">α</span> for the single diagnosis of HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer were 0.809, 0.773, 0.801 and 0.794, respectively, and the AUCs of SCC-Ag, CA199 and CYFRA21-1 for the single diagnosis of HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer were 0.831 and 0, respectively. 728, 0.789. The AUC of the combined diagnosis of HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer by serum IL-10, IL-6, IFN-g, TNF-<span style="color: rgb(32, 33, 34); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250);">α</span>, SCC-Ag, CA199, and CYFRA21-1 was 0.927. The AUC of the combined diagnosis was greater than that of the individual diagnosis of each index (Z = 2 .1 16, 2.690, 2.341, 2.565, 1.957, 3.351, 2.631, P= 0.034, 0.007, 0.019, 0.010, 0.039, 0.001, 0.009). Conclusions: The combined detection of serum Th1/Th2 cytokine imbalance (elevated IL-6 and IL-10) and tumour markers (SCC, CA125) can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of HR-HPV-positive cervical cancer and provide a high-value serological auxiliary basis for the early identification of cervical cancer progression.