title: Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).
abstract: In this study we determined, in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), serum levels of IL-4 and IL-6 at diagnosis and during the course of the disease, seeking a correlation with disease activity and prognosis. We studied 54 MM patients, 41 of whom responded to chemotherapy whilst 11 were resistant. At diagnosis, IL-6 was increased in 66% of patients (median 35.5 pg/ml) whereas IL-4 was low (median 4 pg/ml) in 75% of patients. In responding patients, IL-4 increased in remission (median 25 pg/ml), whereas IL-6 decreased (median 4 pg/ml). In chemotherapy-resistant patients, IL-6 and IL-4 values remained stable during the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Anticancer Institute, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kyrstsonis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dedoussis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baxevanis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stamatelou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maniatis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D015847:Interleukin-4