Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35550592›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2022

Systematic analysis of IL-6 as a predictive biomarker and desensitizer of immunotherapy responses in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Chengming Liu, Lu Yang, Haiyan Xu, Sufei Zheng, Zhanyu Wang, Sihui Wang, Yaning Yang, Shuyang Zhang, Xiaoli Feng, Nan Sun and 2 more

Erratum issuedOpen access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 62 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
62citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
8.1field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

62 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Baseline IL-6 independently predicts severe immune-related toxicity and poor survival in advanced gastric cancer treated with immunotherapy.Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Baseline salivary IL-6 as a predictive biomarker for complementary therapy response in radiation-induced oral mucositis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Peripheral blood inflammatory markers as predictive and prognostic indicators in neoadjuvant immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2025
    Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Review

2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Chengming Liu *Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Lu Yang *Department of Medical Oncology and Radiation Sickness, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Haiyan Xu *Department of Comprehensive Oncology, National Cancer Center/ National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Sufei ZhengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Zhanyu WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Sihui WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Yaning YangDepartment of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Shuyang ZhangDepartment of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Xiaoli FengDepartment of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Nan SunDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. sunnan@vip.126.com.
Yan WangDepartment of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. wangyanyifu@163.com.
Jie HeDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. prof.jiehe@gmail.com.
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · CNNational Cancer Center · USPeking University Third Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCytokines have been reported to alter the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with the tumor in accordance with their plasma concentrations. Here, we aimed to identify the key cytokines which influenced the responses and stimulated resistance to ICIs and tried to improve immunological response and develop novel clinical treatments in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

methodsThe promising predictive cytokines were analyzed via the multi-analyte flow assay. Next, we explored the correlation baseline level of plasma cytokines and clinical outcomes in 45 NSCLC patients treated with ICIs. The mechanism of the potential candidate cytokine in predicting response and inducing resistance to ICIs was then investigated.

resultsWe found NSCLC with a low baseline concentration of IL-6 in plasma specimens or tumor tissues could derive more benefit from ICIs based on the patient cohort. Further analyses revealed that a favorable relationship between PD-L1 and IL-6 expression was seen in NSCLC specimens. Results in vitro showed that PD-L1 expression in the tumor was enhanced by IL-6 via the JAK1/Stat3 pathway, which induced immune evasion. Notably, an adverse correlation was found between IL-6 levels and CD8

conclusionsThis study elucidated the role of baseline IL-6 levels in predicting the responses and promoting resistance to immunotherapy in patients with NSCLC. Our results indicated that the treatment targeting IL-6 may be beneficial for ICIs in NSCLC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLung NeoplasmsAnimalsB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkersCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesHumansImmunotherapyInterleukin-6MiceB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkersInterleukin-6Clinical responseIL-6Immune checkpoint inhibitorsNSCLCResistance

Identifiers

PMID35550592
PMCPMC9102328
OpenAlexW4280560293

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.