title: Increased plasma interleukin-6 concentrations in alcoholic hepatitis.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (hepatocyte stimulating factor) is a 26 kd cytokine that plays a major role in the acute phase response, especially the hepatic aspects of the acute phase response. Patients with alcoholic hepatitis manifest many aspects of the acute phase response. In this 6-month study we evaluated serial plasma interleukin-6 levels in 30 consecutive patients with moderate to severe alcoholic hepatitis. Mean admission plasma interleukin-6 activity was markedly increased (49.8 +/- 8.5 U/ml, normal less than 5 U/ml) in patients with alcoholic hepatitis, and levels decreased with clinical improvement to 15.6 +/- 6.1 U/ml at 6 months. Admission interleukin-6 activity correlated significantly (r = 0.82) with the severity of liver disease as assessed by the discriminant function of Maddrey. Also measured were selected assays postulated to be regulated by interleukin-6, including serum albumin (2.3 +/- 0.1 gm/dl), which was significantly depressed; alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (52 +/- 5 mg/dl), which was within normal limits; and IgA (827 +/- 70 mg/dl) and C-reactive protein (3.03 +/- 0.51 mg/dl), which were significantly elevated. Interleukin-6 activity fell over time in a pattern similar to that of bilirubin and C-reactive protein. We suggest that plasma interleukin-6 may not only regulate many aspects of the acute phase response but also may be a marker of inflammation and severity of disease in alcoholic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536-0084.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marsano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shedlofsky
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McClain
mesh_terms: D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6