title: Effects of carvedilol on plasma levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in nine patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Whether beta-blocker therapy changes the circulating levels of cytokines as congestive heart failure improves remains uncertain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, who had previously received conventional treatment and were classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II, received carvedilol by stepwise dose increase up to 20 mg daily, and the plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-6 was significantly reduced from 0.80 +/- 0.49 pg/ml before therapy to 0.21 +/- 0.08 pg/ml after carvedilol was increased to 20 mg daily (p < 0.05). Moreover, IL-6 level had already decreased significantly compared to the baseline when the dose of carvedilol had reached 10 mg daily (0.28 +/- 0.12 pg/ml, p < 0.05). TNF-alpha levels did not change significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that IL-6 concentration is significantly decreased by beta-blocker therapy. The efficacy for heart failure may be related to the change of IL-6 concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sakakibara Heart Institute, Yoyogi 2-5-4, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053.
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsushima
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ohtaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Misu
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tohbaru
authors.forename: Ryuta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Umemura
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumiyoshi
authors.forename: Saichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosoda
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077261:Carvedilol; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D002227:Carbazoles; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011412:Propanolamines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000077261:Carvedilol