Interleukin-6 in chronic liver diseases

This study was performed to demonstrate the characteristic pattern and diagnostic importance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in cirrhotic patients. The study group consisted of 28 patients with liver cirrhosis. They were classified according to their Child-Pugh grade, which indicates the severity of liver disease. The control group consisted of 19 healthy adults. IL-6 levels of cirrhotic patients were higher than those of the control group (P < 0.001). IL-6 levels in patients with Child C grade were significantly higher than those of both controls and patients with Child A grade (P < 0.001). According to these findings, there is a relationship between serum IL-6 levels and the degree of liver damage. Therefore, measurement of serum IL-6 levels may be useful for monitoring the treatment of cirrhotic patients. (C) 1998 Chapman & Hall Ltd.