Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P05231 (interleukin-6)
 23,907 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To elucidate the precise mechanism of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), serum hyaluronic acid (HA), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in 71 chronic hemodialysis patients with or without CTS and/or shoulder pain. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 40) was the control group, and Group 2 (n = 31) patients had carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder pain, or both. None of the patients had liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory disease, or cancer. Serum HA concentrations in Groups 1 and 2 were 106.0 +/- 77.5 and 442.6 +/- 564.7 ng/dl (mean +/- SD), respectively. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.01). The serum concentrations of IL-6 in Group 1 were significantly lower than in Group 2 (p < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in serum IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha levels. The mechanisms regulating in vivo synthesis of HA was obscure; however, in vitro studies suggest that inflammatory cytokines may stimulate an increased production of HA. In this study, CTS might be associated with increased serum concentrations of HA, and HA production might be mediated by IL-6.
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PMID:Serum hyaluronic acid and interleukin-6 as possible markers of carpal tunnel syndrome in chronic hemodialysis patients. 806 Feb 50

The aging process is associated with significant declines in the levels of many hormones and trophic factors including estrogen, testosterone, growth hormone (somatropin, somatotropin) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1, somatomedin-1, somatomedin-C). Since the classic age-related changes resemble the signs and symptoms of endocrine deficiency, it has been hypothesised that some of the negative effects of aging are due to these hormonal deficits. Consequently, the potential role of hormonal replacement in reversing the deleterious effects of aging deserves investigation. In old hypogonadal men, preliminary studies have shown that testosterone replacement not only improves libido but also significantly increases musculoskeletal mass and strength. However, adverse effects have included increases in haematocrit and prostate specific antigen. Similarly, short term studies with growth hormone replacement have shown substantial bodyweight gain, particularly in severely malnourished older adults, but longer studies have been limited by adverse effects such as gynaecomastia and carpal tunnel syndrome in a few people. Thus, though both testosterone and growth hormone may have potential roles for frailty syndromes in the elderly, long term clinical trials are needed to confirm these positive effects and assess their safety. On the other hand, the multiple beneficial effects of estrogen replacement in older women such as relieving acute menopausal symptoms and preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis are well recognised. Observational studies also suggest that estrogen may decrease cardiovascular disease. However, the optimum duration of treatment and the best way to administer this hormone are still unknown. Also, estrogen may be less effective in senile osteoporosis which primarily results from age-related bone loss. Traditionally, age-related bone loss has been attributed to impaired vitamin D activation and decreased calcium absorption. Thus, it was thought that such bone losses may be ameliorated by calcium supplementation. However, recent studies suggest that alterations in local factors affecting bone cell function may also be important in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. An increase in potent bone resorbing factors, such as the cytokines interleukin-1 and interleukin-6, has been recently demonstrated in elderly patients with osteoporosis. In these patients, it has been suggested that there may also be a decrease in bone growth factors such as IGF-1 and transforming growth factor-beta. Accordingly, studies are underway to determine whether these factors may be useful in the prevention of osteoporosis. Other growth factors recently identified which may be important in aging include epidermal growth factor, nerve growth factor and fibroblast growth factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Trophic factors in aging. Should older people receive hormonal replacement therapy? 807 75

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder that affects people over 50 years of age. The etiology of the disease has not been hitherto clarified exactly. Its incidence among people over 50 is in the range of 0.1-0.5%. The incidence rate peaks in the age group of 60-70 years. It is also found in younger people, but far less frequently. The diagnosis is based primarily on locomotor complains--namely on pronounced pain, morning stiffness of the shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle and neck. Complaints relating to the arms and legs (such as muscular weakness, oedema, tendonitis etc.) are also observed, however, in one third of the cases. The diagnostic criteria are defined empirically. Polymyalgia rheumatica was formerly considered to be a form of elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis. The progressive erosion process is absent in the case of polymyalgia rheumatica unlike in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous factors are known, which point to a link between polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell vasculitis, arthritis, but the precise nature of this relationship remains unknown. Both conditions affect the same age group in the general population and they are even found--not infrequently--in the same patient. Polymyalgia rheumatica can be found in 40% of the patients suffering from arthritis while the histological examination detected mild vasculitis in approximately 10% of the patients suffering for "isolated" polymyalgia rheumatica. The response to be given to the acute phase is similar in both disorders. Scandinavian authors consider polymyalgia rheumatica as the appearance of generalised arthritis. Arthroscopic, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging as well as isotopic studies show unequivocally, that in the background of the osteo-muscular symptoms, complaints, inflammation is to be found partly of the joints but primarily that of the periarticular synovial structures. The above mentioned--dominant--proximal symptoms can often mask the distal locomotor disorders (pitting oedema of the hands and feet, tendonitis, tendosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome). The disorder may be accompanied by atypical generalised symptoms (loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, fatigue). An excellent indicators of the acute phase reactions are erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. These are suitable for monitoring the effectiveness of the therapy, for indicating a relapse/recurrence. It should be noted, that polymyalgia rheumatica may also be present if the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein values are low. This disorder is also characterised by fast and effective response to corticosteroid, which should be administered for 1-2 years. In some individual cases a different dosage regime may be necessary: steroid administered in low dosage over a longer period of time. Administration of methotrexate and anti-tumor necrotic factor-alpha may also be considered as alternative or adjuvant therapy for lowering the quantity of corticosteroid. Further multicenter, double blind studies should, however, be performed on large number of patients in this regard.
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PMID:[Polymyalgia rheumatica]. 1713 99