title: Interleukin 6 during active visceral leishmaniasis and after treatment.
abstract: To determine the utility of the serum concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) as a marker of disease activity and therapeutic efficacy in visceral leishmaniasis (VL), IL-6 levels were measured in 19 patients with active VL from Sudan before and after treatment. IL-6 levels were 30 +/- 6 pg/ml during the active phase of the disease, decreased to levels around the detection limit of the assay (2 pg/ml) directly after successful antimony therapy, and remained low or undetectable for up to 6 months in persistently cured patients (P < 0.005 versus baseline). In 2 patients who had a relapse of VL, IL-6 was elevated at the time the relapse was diagnosed. Two patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis did not have detectable IL-6 in their circulation. Sequential measurements of serum IL-6 levels may be useful for monitoring therapeutic efficacy in patients with VL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Poll
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Zijlstra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mevissen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate