Published online Jul 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i28.9261
Revised: February 20, 2014
Accepted: April 30, 2014
Published online: July 28, 2014
The ‘‘omics sciences’’ (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) are often used to study living organisms as a whole system by evaluating the complex expression patterns of genes, miRNA, proteins, and metabolites. This study aimed, through bioinformatics and systems biology, to decipher the cytokinome profile in the evolution of inflammatory processes leading to cancer. The cytokinome was defined as the totality of cytokines and their interactions in and around biological cells. The system biology approach would provide a better understanding of the complex interaction network of cytokines, especially in cancer patients. Acquired knowledge would enable health providers with tools to evaluate disease onset through progression as well as identifying innovative therapeutic strategies. Understanding the role each cytokine plays in the metabolic network is of great importance. This paper reviews our group’s ‘‘omics’’ work. In particular, it addresses the role cytokines play in liver disease in six different scenarios. The first is the role the cytokines play in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers. The second is the significance of the cytokinome profile. The third is the role of liver cirrhosis as an inflammatory disease. The fourth is the comparison of cytokine levels evaluated in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) or with HCV-related cirrhosis. The fifth is the comparison of cytokine levels evaluated in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis in the presence and absence of type 2 diabetes. And lastly, we present a comparison of cytokine levels evaluated in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis in the presence and absence of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Core tip: In this review we report the usefulness of cytokinome profiling in improving our understanding of the role cytokines play in the evolution of chronic inflammatory processes leading to cancer. The serum levels of cytokines were evaluated in patients with hepatitis C virus infection-related liver diseases in the presence and absence of either hepatocellular carcinoma or type 2 diabetes. In addition, the complex interaction network, between the significant cytokines and their metabolic pathways, was studied using bioinformatics and systems biology approaches.