title: Correlation of interleukin-6 gene expression to immunologic features in patients with cardiac myxomas.
abstract: Cardiac myxomas, the most common primary heart tumors in adults, show a variety of clinical manifestations and laboratory findings correlated with elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum concentration. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of IL-6 mRNA in myxoma tissue as a cause to frequent immunologic abnormalities in patients with such tumors. In our centers, we analyzed 17 surgically resected myxomas using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and found increased IL-6 mRNA expression in 14 of 17 cases. The serum IL-6 levels of the 14 patients, detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with mouse antihuman monoclonal antibody (mAb), were high preoperatively (> 6 pg/ml) and decreased to normal postoperatively (< or = 6 pg/ml). These same 14 patients exhibited significant autoimmune disorders preoperatively. The other 3 patients had normal serum levels of IL-6 (< or = 6 pg/ml) and did not present any serious signs and symptoms, and molecular analysis did not show overexpression of IL-6 mRNA in neoplasmic tissue. These results suggest that IL-6 is overproduced in myxoma tissue and secreted into the systemic circulation as a stimulator of the immunoregulatory system. Furthermore, this study indicates the promising role of molecular biology techniques in the research of pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiac myxomas.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, Amalia Fleming Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Parissis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mentzikof
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Georgopoulou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gikopoulos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanapitsas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Merkouris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kefalas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm