title: Absence of correlation between interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein blood levels in systemic lupus erythematosus compared with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: To investigate if the low C-reactive protein (CRP) response frequently observed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is related to an impaired expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6), considered its main inducer, we studied serum IL-6 and CRP levels in 37 patients with SLE and 22 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results show that in contrast to CRP, IL-6 levels are significantly higher in SLE than in RA. A linear regression analysis shows a positive correlation between levels of these 2 molecules in RA but not in SLE. Similarly, levels of fibrinogen, another acute phase protein mainly induced by IL-6, did not correlate with IL-6 in SLE. Our results suggest an impairment of part of the acute phase response to IL-6 that might play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE.
authors.affiliation: Division de Rhumatologie, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gabay
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roux-Lombard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Moerloose
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dayer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vischer
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Guerne
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015850:Interleukin-6; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein