title: Inhibitory effects of interleukin 6 on immunity. Possible implications in burn patients.
abstract: Certain disease states are associated with abnormal increases in the monokine interleukin 6. Increased levels of interleukin 6 have been demonstrated in serum from patients with burns and are associated with systemic increases in endotoxin levels. Using a murine in vitro experimental model, we have studied the effects of interleukin 6 on various measures of immunity. Our data indicate that levels equivalent to the concentrations found in serum of burn victims inhibit T-cell proliferation. The inhibitory effect is dose and time dependent, is specific for T cells, is not due to impairment of interleukin 2 production or of interleukin 2 receptor expression, and is dependent on macrophages. These data suggest that extraordinary increases in interleukin 6 levels may be related to impaired T-cell responses and to an increased susceptibility to infection in the patient with burns.
authors.affiliation: Baltimore Regional Burn Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Md.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Munster
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Winchurch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha