Predictive value of higher plasma interleukin-6 levels in patients with febrile neutropenia.
BACKGROUND
Patients with febrile neutropenia require hospitalization and prompt empirical treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Patients experiencing severe febrile neutropenia episodes need a longer hospitalization period and close follow-up, but those with mild episodes might derive limited benefit from a lengthy hospital stay. This study investigated whether plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) level has a predictive value in prognosis of febrile neutropenia.


METHODS
Twenty-six patients with various hematologic malignancies with 31 neutropenia episodes were enrolled in the study. Fever developed in 26 patients, 14 clinically severe.


RESULTS
Median plasma IL-6 and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels obtained during the first day of febrile episodes were found significantly higher in severe febrile neutropenia episodes compared to mild episodes (median IL-6: 92.5 pg/mL [range 40.0-650.0] vs. 23.3 pg/mL [range 15.0-65.0], p <0.00001; median CRP: 48 mg/dL [range 16-96] vs. 24 mg/dL [range 16-48, p = 0.0]).


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma IL-6 levels may guide to management of febrile neutropenic patients and may be used as predictive factor for poor outcome in these patients.
Karan
Mehmet Akif
MA
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Istanbul, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Turkey. makifkaran@ihlas.net.tr
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein