title: Serum interleukin-6 is related to disease activity but not disease specificity in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has a major function in the regulation of the inflammatory process. We aimed to define its role as a parameter of disease activity and extent in inflammatory bowel disease. Serum concentrations of IL-6 were measured in 28 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and in 15 with ulcerative colitis (UC) before starting corticosteroid treatment. Disease activity was measured by standard activity indexes. Serum IL-6 levels were increased in patients with CD (36 +/- 8 pg/ml; p < 0.001) and UC (10 +/- 4 pg/ml; p < 0.05) as compared with 25 control patients. A significant correlation between serum IL-6 concentrations and disease activity was found in patients with CD as well as in patients with UC (active CD: 73 +/- 14 pg/ml, inactive disease: < 10 pg/ml, p = 0.003; active UC: 26 +/- 10 pg/ml, inactive disease: < 10 pg/ml, p = 0.004). IL-6 serum levels were related to the acute-phase reactant c-reactive protein (r = 0.51, p < 0.01) in CD patients. The serum IL-6 concentrations were more pronounced in CD of the colon than in disease limited to the small bowel (p < 0.05). In patients with CD as well as in patients with UC, IL-6 serum concentrations showed a higher sensitivity for disease activity (94 and 83%) than serum c-reactive protein levels. In patients without corticosteroid treatment, the IL-6 serum concentration is related to disease activity in CD as well as UC. Serum IL-6 levels show a higher correlation with disease activity than c-reactive protein levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Maria Hilf Hospital, University Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Holtkamp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stollberg
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D015032:Zinc