title: Elevated interleukin-6 expression in keloid fibroblasts.
abstract: Keloids are characterized by a net accumulation of collagen. To date, the role of growth factors and various cytokines in the pathogenesis of these lesions has not been fully characterized. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important immunoregulatory cytokine that has been implicated in a number of fibrotic autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma, interstitial nephritis, and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. However, the role of IL-6 in the development of keloids has yet to be defined. This study demonstrates increased expression of the IL-6 gene in fibroblasts isolated from patients with keloids when compared with control fibroblasts using the ribonuclease protection assay. Subsequent detection of increased levels of IL-6 secretion by keloid fibroblasts is also demonstrated under unstimulated and stimulated conditions using serum and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) (unstimulated: 0.3694 + 0.2499 pg/cell vs 0.0662 + 0.0786 pg/cell, P = 0.0137; serum: 1.066 + 0.513 pg/cell vs 0.233 + 0.231 pg/cell, P = 0.0027; serum and IFN-gamma: 1.286 + 0.395 pg/cell vs 0.244 + 0.199 pg/cell, P < 0.0001). These results suggest that IL-6 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of keloids.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospital for Children-Galveston Unit, Galveston, Texas 77550, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007627:Keloid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D007371:Interferon-gamma