Evaluation of the relevance of serum level of interleukin-8 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia affecting the elderly. It is characterized by monoclonal B-cell proliferation expressing CD5 and CD23. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been found to induce the proliferation of malignant cells and make them resistant to apoptosis. Thus, IL-8 could be implicated in disease progression. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was To determine the clinical significance of serum IL-8 levels in CLL patients and to evaluate its potential as a biomarker for disease progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 CLL patients and 30 normal individuals (control). Participants were recruited from October 2024 and continuing until August 2025 at The National Center of Hematology/Mustansiriyah University. Patients’ demographics were collected using a special form. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for IL-8 levels using ELISA in addition to complete blood count. RESULTS: The mean serum IL-8 level for CLL patients was 28.83 ± 12.68 pg/mL, which is higher than that of the control group 10.20 ± 1.008 pg/mL, with no statistical significance ( P = 0.1483). It was concluded that a statistically significant difference in IL-8 levels existed across all stages of CLL ( P = 0.0193). The highest median level was 16.28 pg/mL in Stage A, whereas the median levels in Stages B and C were 7.476 pg/mL and 7.608 pg/mL, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that IL-8 powerful in distinguishing between Stage A and C, with a sensitivity of 81.82%, and a specificity of 72.73% at a cutoff of 10.07 pg/mL. IL-8 does not show a significant correlation with other variables. CONCLUSION: As an autocrine growth and apoptosis resistance factor, higher level of IL-8 among CLL patients may be related to the disease persistence, with higher levels among earlier stages of CLL in comparison to later stages, which may be related to immune system exhaustion. Thus, it could be useful in monitoring disease status.