Increased levels of circulating interleukin 6 in burn patients.
The serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) were determined in a population of burn patients. In all patients, IL-6 levels were increased over a 3-week interval with peak concentrations reached during the first week after injury. Patients receiving intravenous polymyxin B therapy according to a regimen designed to reduce endotoxemia manifested greatly reduced levels of both circulating endotoxins and IL-6. Certain patients not treated with polymyxin B showed extraordinarily large increases in IL-6 which were associated with lethal or life-threatening clinical complications. Increased IL-6 levels were also associated with decreased percentage of circulating T cells and corresponding increases in B cells. However, IL-6 did not produce any direct inhibitory effects in vitro on T cell representation or function.
Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Y
Y
Guo
C
C
Dickerson
F J
FJ
Chrest
W H
WH
Adler
A M
AM
Munster
R A
RA
Winchurch
D001685:Biological Factors / Q000097:blood; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D016207:Cytokines; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D001685:Biological Factors; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6