Cytokine Serum Level During Severe Sepsis in Human IL-6 as a Marker of Severity

Abstract

Forty critically ill surgical patients with documented infections were studied during their stay in an intensive care unit. Among these patients, 19 developed septic shock and 16 died, 9 of them from septic shock. Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured each day and every 1 or 2 hours when septic shock occurred. Although IL-1 beta was never found, TNF alpha was most often observed in the serum at a level under 100 pg/mL except during septic shock. During these acute episodes TNF alpha level reached several hundred pg/mL, but only for a few hours. In contrast, IL-6 was always increased in the serum of acutely ill patients (peak to 500,000 pg/mL). There was a direct correlation between IL-6 peak serum level and TNF alpha peak serum level during septic shock and between IL-6 serum level and temperature or C-reactive protein serum level. Moreover, IL-6 correlated well with APACHE II score, and the mortality rate increased significantly in the group of patients who presented with IL-6 serum level above 1000 pg/mL. Thus, IL-6 appears to be a good marker of severity during bacterial infection.

Acute Reversible Myocardial Depression Associated with Sepsis.

“…These findings suggest that one cannot ascertain whether IL-ip plays a role in the pathogenesis of septic myocardial depression in the clinical setting on the basis of serum IL-lp concentration alone. On the other hand, the concentrations of the other cytokines TNF-a and IL-6 have been shown to be related to the severity of sepsis and prognosis of the patients with sepsis and/or septic shock (14,15). This may reflect the pathophysiologic relation between these cytokines and "septic myocardial depression" previously shown in many experimental studies (6-10, ll).…”

Efficacy of Bacteriophage Therapy against Gut-Derived Sepsis Caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Mice

“…Since inflammatory cytokines are thought to be good markers of the severity of bacterial infections (8,20,30), we measured the levels of IL-1␤, IL-6, and TNF-␣ in the blood and liver tissues of the mice after the induction of gut-derived sepsis. Samples from each group of mice (n ϭ 9) were collected 2 days after the second administration of cyclophosphamide.…”

Effect of tramadol on immune responses and nociceptive thresholds in a rat model of incisional pain

“…In previous studies, it has been shown that the increase in concentration of IL-6 correlates well with operating time, severity of sepsis, and clinical complications after surgery (Damas et al, 1992). However, little is known about the IL-2 changes in response to surgery.…”