title: Clinical analysis of cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the clinical usefulness of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-6 (IL-6) measurement in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE), we studied CSF IL-6 levels in patients with NPSLE and analyzed the association between CSF IL-6 levels and other clinical findings of NPSLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed records of 37 patients (33 females and four males) with NPSLE admitted to our hospital between January 2003 and December 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients showed neuropsychiatric symptoms. Fourteen patients showed abnormalities in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 12 patients had abnormal findings in electroencephalography (EEG). Increased CSF cell counts and elevated levels of CSF IL-6 were found in 11 and 30 patients, respectively. Elevated levels of CSF IL-6 were not statistically correlated with specific abnormalities in the blood analysis, in increased CSF cell counts, and in abnormalities in the brain MRI and EEG. In addition, a group of NPSLE patients positive for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) showed lower CSF IL-6 than the patients negative for aPL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that CSF IL-6 might be useful in diagnosis of NPSLE. However, general assessments of patients based on various factors (clinical manifestations, imaging findings and CSF examinations) are also required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8563, Japan. yoshirohorai0518@qmed.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horai
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamura
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahama
authors.forename: Akie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suematsu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D020945:Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6