Correlation between cytokine levels and changes in fatigue and quality of life in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a major problem in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and may be mediated by circulating cytokines. We examined this relationship in 74 adult AML patients before and after the first cycle of induction chemotherapy. Plasma levels of 13 cytokines were measured via electrochemiluminescence. At baseline, potentially clinically important (r > 0.30) correlations were seen between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and fatigue (r = −0.336, p = 0.017). Over time, correlations with fatigue were noted with TNF-α (r = −0.341, p = 0.006) and interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10 (r = 0.353, p = 0.005). The link between IP-10 and fatigue is novel, implicating CXC chemokine pathways for CRF in hematologic malignancies.