title: Demonstration of interleukin 6 in middle ear effusions.
abstract: In response to infection in the middle ear, inflammatory cells produce cytokines--potent regulators and mediators of the immune response. In an earlier study, we demonstrated that levels of the cytokine interleukin 1 were higher in middle-ear effusions from younger children, while levels of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor were higher in middle-ear effusions from older children and in those requiring tympanostomy on multiple occasions. In this study, we evaluated middle-ear effusions for levels of the cytokine interleukin 6. Activities of interleukin 6 include stimulation of bone erosion and production of antibodies and fever. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system, significant levels of interleukin 6 (greater than 0.2 pg/mL) were found in 14 (36%) of 39 middle-ear effusions from 25 children with otitis media with effusion. The mean (+/- SE) level of interleukin 6 in middle-ear effusions was 173.9 +/- 74.7 pg/mg of total protein. Like interleukin 1, levels of interleukin 6 were higher in younger children. Tumor necrosis factor may be an important regulator of the local immune response in the middle-ear cleft during persistence of otitis media with effusion, while interleukin 1 and interleukin 6 may be important regulators during the early stages of otitis media with effusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06030.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Yellon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marucha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sidman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burleson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kreutzer
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6