The Effect of Transurethral Resection and BCG Therapy on Cytokine Levels in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Objective: The present study investigated the effect of treatment on interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, and neopterin levels in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with NMIBC and 30 age-matched controls were included in the study. Preoperative, postoperative first control [at two weeks after second transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)] and the second control (at the end of intravesical immunotherapy) blood samples were analyzed using ELISA to determine IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and neopterin levels. The mean cytokine levels of the patients were statistically compared and comparing the patients' and controls' levels. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the mean IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and neopterin levels of the patient and control groups before initial TURBT. In the patient group, there were no statistically significant differences in the IL-6 and IL-8 levels after both TURBT and intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy. The mean of preoperative IL-1 and neopterin levels significantly decreased after TURBT (p