title: Evidence for the production of high amounts of interleukin-6 in the peritoneal cavity of patients with ascites.
abstract: The ascites and serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were determined in 21 patients with hepatic ascites and in 9 patients with malignancy-associated ascites. There was no evidence for bacterial peritonitis in any patients. All ascites samples contained high amounts of immunoreactive IL-6 [hepatic ascites 1730 +/- 2130 pg/ml (mean +/- SD), 1160 pg/ml (median); malignant ascites 4020 +/- 1510 pg/ml (mean), 3820 pg/ml (median)] but no IL-1. The mean ascites to serum ratios of IL-6 were 96 (median 49) in patients with hepatic ascites and 587 (median 480) in patients with malignant ascites. Ascites IL-6 was biologically active as determined by the B9 cell bioassay. The results indicate that even in the absence of infection IL-6 is produced in high amounts in the peritoneal cavity of patients with hepatic or malignant ascites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andus
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holstege
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerok
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schölmerich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6