Interleukin-6 activity in dogs with juvenile polyarteritis syndrome: effect of corticosteroids.
Juvenile polyarteritis syndrome (JPS) is an idiopathic febrile disease in dogs. Elevated serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) have been reported in human patients with vasculitis. We investigated whether these cytokines are also elevated in serum of dogs with JPS using sensitive bioassays. Increased levels of IL-6 activity were detected in the serum of 12 acutely ill dogs, whereas the IL-6 activity decreased to low or undetectable levels during convalescence. Treatment of 5 acute JPS dogs with prednisone resulted in a rapid clinical improvement accompanied by a decrease of IL-6 activity. Withdrawal of prednisone treatment caused reappearance of clinical symptoms and high serum IL-6 activity within a few days. TNF activity could not be detected in the samples of normal dogs, convalescent JPS, or acute JPS dogs. These studies support a role for IL-6 in the pathogenesis of JPS.
Hogenesch
H
H
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
Snyder
P W
PW
Scott-Moncrieff
J C
JC
Glickman
L T
LT
Felsburg
P J
PJ
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D005334:Fever / Q000662:veterinary; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013577:Syndrome; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000662:veterinary*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011241:Prednisone