As important factors in the tumor microenvironment, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and integrin ανβ6 play significant roles in accumulating mutations that drive the progression and metastatic capacities of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of IL-6 and integrin ανβ6, their clinical significance, as well as their correlation in the colon cancer tissues of 145 cases using immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that IL-6 and integrin ανβ6 are indicators of cancer progression and poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer. Moreover, their relationship may provide clues for further studies on how the tumor microenvironment mediates the development of colon cancer, as well as strategies for the identification of novel therapeutic targets in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer.
Keywords: Colon cancer; Integrin ανβ6; Interleukin-6; Prognostic factors; Tumor microenvironment.