title: [An IL-6 level in the serum and urine in estimation of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C associated with renal damage].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate serum and urine IL-6 levels and to study its role in diagnosis of nephritis activity in patients with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis (CGN) associated with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Enzyme immunoassay was used to assay IL-6 in blood serum of 124 patients having different stages of CHC. IL-6 was also estimated in the urine of 57 patients with CHC systemic manifestations including renal damage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal serum IL-6 level was seen in 36% CHC patients. Patients with elevated level of IL-6 in the serum vs. patients with normal IL-6 level had cryoglobulinemia (CGE) (56% vs. 26%, p < 0.01) and related systemic manifestations including cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis (30% vs. 9%, p < 0.01). Most of (90%) patients with CHC-associated CGN had urinary IL-6 excretion correlating with severity of renal damage: the highest urinary level of IL-6 was seen in development of acute nephritic and nephritic syndromes (from 83.5 to 250 pg/ml). It did not correlate with IL-6 in the serum and proteinuria. This is evidence that IL-6 in the urine had a local origin (intrarenal), reflecting activity of immune inflammation in the kidney.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Control of IL-6 levels in the blood serum and urine of patients suffering from CHC with cryoglobulinemic syndrome and renal damage can be used for monitoring of the disease activity.
authors.forename: Iu V
authors.initials: IuV
authors.lastname: Korotchaeva
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kozlovskaia
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Gordovskaia
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Speranskiĭ
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6