title: Interleukin-6 and rheumatic diseases.
abstract: IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in both the initiation and the maintenance of the inflammatory and immunologic responses in certain autoimmune diseases. Blocking of these two complementary functions of IL-6 may confer additive, or even unique, benefits to the patient. The levels of both IL-6 and its soluble receptor (sIL-6Ralpha) are elevated to various degrees in many rheumatic diseases. IL-6 blockade has been shown to be beneficial both in experimental models and in human disease, and inhibition of IL-6 signaling with a molecule such as tocilizumab could prevent or reverse some of the complications typically associated with rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. lipskyp@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lipsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; C502936:tocilizumab