Introduction: The complex network of chemokines and their receptors play an important role in development and metastasis of tumors. This study examines the mRNA expression rate of CCR2 and CCR5 and also the serum levels of CCL2 and CCL5 in patients with bladder transitional cells carcinoma before and after transurethral resection (TUR) surgery.

Materials & methods: In the present study, 40 male patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and 40 healthy subjects were included in the study. The blood samples were collected before TUR surgery and 28 days thereafter. Also, tumor and normal tissue samples were collected during the operation from12 of these patients. The CCR2 and CCR5 gene expressions of normal and tumor tissues were determined grossly and also in PBLs using real-time PCR technique. The protein levels of CCL2 and CCL5 in PBLs were investigated using ELISA technique.

Findings: The CCR2 and CCR5 gene expression in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue, and in PBLs after TUR surgery compared to pre-surgery rate showed a significant increase (P < 0.05). In examination, the serum levels of CCL2 and CCL5 in patients with cancer compared to normal subjects showed a significant increase (P < 0.05). In this study, the serum levels of CCL2 and CCL5 showed a distinct behavior; thus, the post- operative serum levels of CCL2 significantly increased, while the serum levels of CCL5 significantly reduced (P < 0.05).

Discussion & Conclusions: This study showed variations of chemokine / receptor axis of CCL2 / CCR2 which in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue, and in PBLs after TUR surgery compared to pre-surgery rate showed a significant increase. variations of chemokine / receptor axis of.CCL5 / CCR5 is so different, serum levels of CCL5 significantly reduced. It seems that the nature of the tumor cells acts differently in producing and expressing CCL2 / CCR2 and CCL5 / CCR5. While it is generally expected that with tumor progression, the ligand and the receptor rates will increase which is important and requires further research, particularly regarding solid tumors. However, physical removal of the tumor has not a profound role in expression and secretion of studied chemokines.