Understanding the relationship between the coexistence of inflammatory and neoplastic processes in ovarian cancer, particularly those involving chemokines and their receptors, may help to elucidate the involvement of the studied parameters in tumor pathogenesis and could lead to improved clinical applications. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the levels of C‑X‑C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), and its receptors C‑X‑C chemokine receptor (CXCR)1 and CXCR2, in the serum and peritoneal fluid of women with ovarian cancer, and to evaluate the association between the expression of these parameters in tumor tissue and patient characteristics, particularly the degree of histological differentiation. The study group included women with ovarian cancer diagnosed with serous cystadenocarcinoma International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIIc and a control group, which consisted of women who were diagnosed with a benign lesion (serous cystadenoma). The transcript levels of CXCL8, CXCR1 and CXCR2 were evaluated using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR). The quantitative analysis was carried out using the LightCycler® 480 System and GoTaq® 1‑Step RT‑qPCR System, according to the manufacturers' instructions. The concentration of CXCL8 in serum and peritoneal fluid was determined using a Human Interleukin‑8 ELISA kit, and the concentrations of CXCR1 and CXCR2 were determined using the CLOUD‑CLONE ELISA kit. Local and systemic disturbances in immune and inflammatory responses involving the CXCL8 chemokine and its receptors indicated the involvement of these studied parameters in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. Immunoregulation of the CXCL8‑CXCR1 system may influence the course of the inflammatory process accompanying ovarian cancer development, which may result in the identification of novel clinical applications; however, further studies are required.
Keywords: CXCL8 chemokine; CXCR1/CXCR2 receptors; ovarian cancer.