title: Interleukin-6 release and the acute-phase reaction in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a pilot study.
abstract: We investigated the potential role of interleukin-6 as a mediator of the acute-phase reaction (APR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Of the six patients studied, five demonstrated increased plasma interleukin-6 levels. Interleukin-6 levels began to increase at 14 hours (mean; range = 8 to 20 hours) after the initial complaints and reached maximal levels of 28 to 250 U/mL (normal values less than 10 U/mL) after 36 hours (mean; range = 24 to 52 hours). No correlation was seen between the size of the interfaction as indicated by creatine kinase MB assays and the extent of the interleukin-6 increases (r = 0.44; p = 0.38). As an indicator of the APR, plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured. CRP levels began to increase after 16 hours (mean; range = 8 to 24 hours) and reached maximum levels of 56 to 322 mg/L (normal values less than 3 mg/L) after 65 hours (mean; range = 48 to 92 hours). The increase of the interleukin-6 level preceded the increase of the CRP level in three patients and was simultaneous in two patients. Maximal interleukin-6 levels correlated significantly with maximal CRP levels (r = 0.96; p = 0.002). Thus these findings indicate that interleukin-6 is an important endogenous mediator for the APR in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sturk
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hack
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Aarden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Koster
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003402:Creatine Kinase