title: Immunoreactive interleukin-6 in serum of patients with B-lymphoproliferative diseases.
abstract: Serum immunoreactive interleukin-6 (ir-IL-6) concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay in nine patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), 16 patients with multiple myeloma (MM), 12 patients with monoclonal gammapathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), 22 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and in 32 control subjects. Measurable quantities of ir-IL-6 were detected in every sample studied. Patients with MGUS and SS had significantly higher serum ir-IL-6 (mean +/- SD) concentrations (337 +/- 92 ng l-1 and 299 +/- 100 ng l-1, respectively) than controls (92 +/- 77 ng l-1) and patients with CLL and MM (120 +/- 32 ng l-1 and 113 +/- 58 ng l-1, respectively). Longitudinal studies of ir-IL-6 concentration in a few patients with MM showed a decrease before remission and an increase prior to relapse, but no consistent pattern was detected. In conclusion, we found that serum ir-IL-6 levels are higher in patients with benign hypergammaglobulinaemic states than in patients with malignant neoplastic B-cell disorders.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Metsärinne
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Teppo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fyhrquist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015850:Interleukin-6