title: The influence of recombinant human interleukin-6 on blood and immune parameters in middle-aged and old rhesus monkeys.
abstract: IL-6 is a 26-kDa protein cytokine with pleiotropic activities in both hematopoietic and immune systems. It is one of the major mediators of the acute phase inflammatory response. Recently it has been demonstrated that pharmacological doses of human recombinant IL-6 (rhIL-6) inhibit certain murine tumors as well as stimulate thrombopoiesis in mice, dogs, nonhuman primates, and humans. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects and toxicity of rhIL-6 administration in nonhuman primates with particular reference to subject age. We treated 10 female monkeys of two age groups (midle-aged and old) with rhIL-6 (15 micrograms/kg/day) for 28 days. The monkeys were observed to be somewhat lethargic and lost an average of 10% of their body weights. The white blood cell count rose transiently whereas the levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit fell significantly and remained depressed for the same period. Importantly, platelet count rose and remained elevated for the duration of treatments. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels increase significantly and certain parameters of clinical immune competence were altered by IL-6 treatment. Treatment effects were similar in both age groups, but the changes in immune functions were different between the midle-aged and old monkeys. We observed a pattern in which the middle-aged group had a significant decrease in immune functions as a result of IL-6 administration and recovered to pretreatment level despite continuous treatment, whereas the old monkeys had a more protracted but less significant decline in these same immune functions during the trial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Binkley
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bidwell
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Ershler
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004798:Enzymes / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D001798:Blood Proteins; D004798:Enzymes; D006454:Hemoglobins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol