title: Interleukin 6 in systemic sclerosis and potential implications for targeted therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to review the potential importance of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in systemic sclerosis (SSc).
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed and Scopus databases and American College of Rheumatology (from 2009-10) and European League Against Rheumatism abstracts (2009-11) were searched using keywords "scleroderma; SSc; cytokines; interleukins; interleukin 6" and publications were excluded if not pertaining to IL-6 in SSc. Data were extracted from selected articles to construct a cell interaction model of the effects of IL-6 in SSc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 416 reports were found (PubMed, n = 82; Scopus, n = 331; 3 abstracts); 372 were excluded (irrelevant) leaving 41 publications and 3 abstracts (39 from PubMed, 18 from Scopus; but 16 were repeated from PubMed search), where 40 suggested IL-6 was important in SSc and 4 did not. Effects of IL-6 in SSc were summarized schematically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the 44 publications, 40 suggested that IL-6 may be important in SSc, allowing for a conceptual framework within SSc including effects on macrophages, fibroblasts, plasma cells, monocytes, and extracellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chayawee
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muangchan
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pope
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000093242:Interleukin-6 Inhibitors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000093242:Interleukin-6 Inhibitors