title: Interleukin-6 and interstitial cystitis.
abstract: We analyzed the presence of the cytokine interleukin-6 in urine samples from interstitial cystitis patients. Interleukin-6 was significantly elevated in patients with interstitial cystitis (169.29 +/- 90.81 pg./ml. versus 34.8 +/- 6.35 pg./ml. in controls). Representative urine samples were analyzed with specific antibody to interleukin-6 and greater than 80% of the biological activity was neutralized. These cytokine measurements were then compared with clinical parameters and interleukin-6 levels correlated positively with the pain scores. Studies on the potential cellular origin of interleukin-6 showed increased levels in spontaneously voided urine but not in ureteral urine, which was collected during cystoscopy, suggesting that interleukin-6 is the product of activated cells in the bladder. This finding is supported by in situ hybridization analyses, which showed that interleukin-6 messenger ribonucleic acid expressing cells are located in the interstitium and epithelial layer, and within blood vessels. The implications of these findings for interstitial cystitis pathogenesis are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villiger
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hugli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koziol
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zuraw
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003556:Cystitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger