Interleukin-6 concentrations in the serum of patients with AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma during treatment with interferon-alpha.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were determined in the serum of 14 HIV-1-infected patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, 10 HIV-1-infected patients without symptoms, and 10 healthy male subjects. IL-6 levels were also determined in the serum of the 14 patients with Kaposi's sarcoma during treatment with high-dose human recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN alpha). Serum IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the patients with Kaposi's sarcoma than in the HIV-infected patients without symptoms and the controls. There was no consistent pattern of changes of IL-6 levels during IFN alpha treatment. These results support the view that IL-6 is a cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma, but appear to argue against an effect of IFN alpha on the production or release of IL-6 as an important mechanism of action of IFN alpha.
de Wit
R
R
Department of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Raasveld
M H
MH
ten Berge
R J
RJ
van der Wouw
P A
PA
Bakker
P J
PJ
Veenhof
C H
CH
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*
D007370:Interferon Type I; D015850:Interleukin-6