Ren SQ, Cai C. Translational potential of the interleukin-6/interleukin-10 ratio for immune monitoring after radiofrequency ablation. World J Hepatol 2026; 18(7): 118055 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.118055]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Chuang Cai, PhD, Cancer Research Institute of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan City People’s Hospital, No. 2 Sunwen East Road, Zhongshan 528445, Guangdong Province, China. caich6@foxmail.com
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Immunology
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review-article
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Ren SQ, Cai C. Translational potential of the interleukin-6/interleukin-10 ratio for immune monitoring after radiofrequency ablation. World J Hepatol 2026; 18(7): 118055 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.118055]
World J Hepatol. Jul 27, 2026; 18(7): 118055 Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.118055
Translational potential of the interleukin-6/interleukin-10 ratio for immune monitoring after radiofrequency ablation
Shu-Qi Ren, Chuang Cai
Shu-Qi Ren, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan City Hospital of Integration of TCM & Western Medicine, Zhongshan 528467, Guangdong Province, China
Chuang Cai, Cancer Research Institute of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan City People’s Hospital, Zhongshan 528445, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Ren SQ conceived the review and drafted the initial manuscript; Ren SQ and Cai C were responsible for literature collation, made substantial contributions to this manuscript, edited and finalized the manuscript for submission; all authors reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.
AI contribution statement: All academic viewpoints, framework construction, literature collation and core content of this opinion review are independently finished by the authors. We only used AI tools for logical transition adjustment, sentence polishing and Chinese-English translation revision based on my original Chinese draft, and the manuscript has been further manually edited by a professional language polishing company.
Supported by Zhongshan Science and Technology Bureau, 2022, No. 2022B1073; and Zhongshan Science and Technology Bureau, 2023, No. 2023B1033.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Chuang Cai, PhD, Cancer Research Institute of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan City People’s Hospital, No. 2 Sunwen East Road, Zhongshan 528445, Guangdong Province, China. caich6@foxmail.com
Received: December 23, 2025 Revised: January 6, 2026 Accepted: February 4, 2026 Published online: July 27, 2026 Processing time: 213 Days and 23.4 Hours
Abstract
The interleukin (IL)-6/IL-10 ratio emerges as an important biomarker which is utilized for monitoring systemic immune balance after radiofrequency ablation in liver malignant tumors. Although, a study has proved that it has independent prognostic significance for early immune disorder, this review puts forward the view that the ratio reflects a deeper mutual action between pro-inflammatory thermal injury and compensatory immunosuppression. We hold the viewpoint that the translational potential exists in the establishment of standardized 24-hour thresholds and the integration of them into a multidimensional “immune-inflammatory risk score“ together with tumor burden variables. In addition, this ratio can give guidance to individual adjuvant immunotherapies, for example IL-6 receptor antagonists, thus to reduce recurrence. Even though multicenter verification is essential, the IL-6/IL-10 ratio provides a clear pathway for the immunosurveillance-driven model in post-radiofrequency ablation management, thus shifting attention from non-special inflammation signs to accurate immunomodulation.
Core Tip: The interleukin (IL)-6/IL-10 ratio stands for an important biological marker of immune abnormality after radio frequency ablation. It independently predicts bad results and thus gives a new direction for postoperative immune observation and risk classification in liver cancer patients.
