IL-6 levels predict disease variant and extent of organ involvement in patients with mastocytosis.

Abstract

Mastocytosis is often associated with organ involvement and hematological disorders. Patients may also exhibit elevated levels of plasma IL-6. To gain insight into the relevance of this observation, we correlated plasma levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) with multiple disease parameters in 29 patients with mastocytosis. Mean plasma IL-6 levels were elevated in patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Disease category significantly correlated with plasma IL-6 levels, as did severity of bone marrow pathology, organomegaly, and extent of skin involvement. In plasma, there was a positive correlation of IL-6 to total tryptase, alkaline phosphatase, IgM, white blood cell count, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and neutrophil numbers. There was an inverse correlation to hemoglobin. sIL-6R levels were not elevated. These observations demonstrate that IL-6 is a useful surrogate marker of severity of hematologic disease and suggest that IL-6 contributes to pathology.

• Authors: Knut Brockow, Cem Akin, Mary Huber, Dean D Metcalfe
• Journal: Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.) (Clin Immunol) Vol. 115 Issue 2 Pg. 216-23 (May 2005) ISSN: 1521-6616 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15885646 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Immunoglobulin Isotypes
• Interleukin-6
• Receptors, Interleukin-6
• Serine Endopeptidases
• Tryptases

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Bone Marrow (pathology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Female
• Hepatomegaly
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin Isotypes (blood)
• Interleukin-6 (blood)
• Lymphatic Diseases
• Male
• Mastocytosis (blood, pathology)
• Middle Aged
• Receptors, Interleukin-6 (blood)
• Serine Endopeptidases (blood)
• Severity of Illness Index
• Splenomegaly
• Tryptases
• Urticaria Pigmentosa (blood)