title: Notable increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of soluble interleukin-6 receptors in neuromyelitis optica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  IL-6 is a proinﬂammatory cytokine which is involved in the maintenance of the humoral response in various autoimmune disorders. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6 has shown to be increased in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). The soluble form of IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), which links to IL-6, can activate biological responses in cells. Whether or not sIL-6R is altered in NMO has not been clarified.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure CSF IL-6 and sIL-6R in NMO and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and investigate whether IL-6 and sIL-6R have possible uses as sensitive biomarkers for diseases activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSF concentrations of IL-6 and sIL-6R were measured by an ELISA in NMO (n = 22) and MS (n = 18) patients, as well as control subjects (n = 14).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of IL-6 levels were higher in NMO compared to MS (p = 0.032) and the controls (p = 0.023). The levels of sIL-6R were also higher in NMO compared to MS (p = 0.002) and the controls (p < 0.001). CSF sIL-6R was associated with an Expanded Disability Status Scale score in NMO (p = 0.005) but not in MS (p = 0.891). In the MS subgroup, sIL-6R concentrations were associated with CSF white blood cells (p = 0.034).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed that CSF sIL-6R was increased in NMO patients, and correlated with clinical presentations.
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Afﬁliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors: Honghao
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Wang
authors: Xiaonan
authors: X
authors: Zhong
authors: Yongqiang
authors: Y
authors: Dai
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Qiu
authors: Aimin
authors: A
authors: Wu
authors: Xueqiang
authors: X
authors: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6