title: Interleukin-6 in hepatitis C cirrhosis.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in numerous diseases but the correlation between liver fibrosis and IL-6 role is not clear. We studied IL-6 levels in 50 HCVAb+ patients with liver cirrhosis (grouped into A, B and C, Child classes) and in 27 healthy control subjects. IL-6 serum levels were significantly increased in the former (p < 0.005) suggesting that IL-6 stimulates and sustains liver fibrosis. In cirrhotic subjects, the rise in IL-6 serum levels is due to impaired hepatic clearance of this cytokine, while its production remains steady.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malaguarnera
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laurino
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Fazio
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6