A Study on Serum IL-6 Levels in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis of Any Cause and its Correlation with Child Pugh Score in Assessing the Disease Severity

Abstract

Background: Liver cirrhosis is a chronic and progressive disease characterized by the development of fibrosis and distortion of the liver architecture. One potential biomarker that has gained attention in recent years is interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in the immune response and inflammatory processes. In the present study, serum IL-6 levels will be measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and correlated with the Child-Pugh score. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional design conducted at ASCOMS Jammu from June 2021 to November 2021. Fifty patients who presented with symptoms of liver cirrhosis, such as abdominal pain, abdominal distention, jaundice, and reduced urine output, were randomly selected from the outpatient or emergency departments. Results: The study analyzed data from 50 patients, finding that 6% were below the age of 30, 24% were between 30 and 40, and 70% were over 40. 94% of patients were male, while only 6% were female. The study found a significant increase in the mean portal vein diameter as the Child class increased, and a significant correlation between PT prolongation and mean IL-6 levels. However, there was no significant correlation between Child class and SAAG value. Conclusion: The severity of varices in patients with liver cirrhosis was found to be strongly associated with the level of serum IL-6, suggesting that serum IL-6 can be used as a non-invasive way to identify varices in patients with liver cirrhosis, particularly when OGD scopy is not available or if the patient is too sick to be moved to the OGD room. Elevated levels of IL-6 have also been associated with hepatic encephalopathy, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Keywords: Interleukin 6, liver cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy, child Pugh score