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

Crystal-related joint diseases are often associated with systemic inflammatory manifestations, including increased levels of acute-phase proteins, leukocytosis, and fever. Recently, interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been identified as a pluripotent mediator of inflammatory and immunologic responses and the major hepatocyte-stimulating factor. In this study, we demonstrated that monosodium urate (MSU) and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals, and to a lesser extent, hydroxyapatite crystals, increased IL-6 production by synoviocytes and monocytes in vitro. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that MSU and CPPD crystals, but not hydroxyapatite crystals, were able to increase the release of newly synthesized IL-6. Crystal-induced IL-6 stimulated acute-phase protein synthesis, immunoglobulin production, and hybridoma cell proliferation, which was neutralized by a specific antibody to IL-6. High levels of IL-6 were found in synovial fluid from patients with gout and pseudogout. These results demonstrate that MSU and CPPD crystals can induce IL-6 production in synoviocytes and monocytes, and that synovial fluid from patients with gout and pseudogout contains high levels of IL-6. Crystal-induced IL-6 is likely to be an important mediator of inflammatory responses in acute gout and pseudogout.
 ...
PMID:Inflammatory microcrystals stimulate interleukin-6 production and secretion by human monocytes and synoviocytes. 255 32

A 82-year-old woman was admitted because of dehydration and chronic renal failure. Although her renal function was improved by hydration, granulocytopenia (granulocyte number 645/mm3) occurred. Treatment with a relatively high dose of H2 blocker for one month before admission may have caused the granulocytopenia. To prevent possible infection in the patient, we administered 75 g of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for 5 consecutive days but 4 days after commencement of administration of G-CSF, pain in both knee joints suddenly appeared. Synovial fluid aspiration revealed granulocytosis (10,400/mm3) and deposition of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate in the knee joints. The level of G-CSF in the synovial fluid was increased in the joints (700 pg/ml), compared with the serum concentration (62 pg/ml). Furthermore, the concentrations of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 were markedly increased in the synovial fluid. The results indicated that her pseudogout exacerbation by G-CSF was at least in part explained by the increased production of cytokines in the knee joints. Because the prevalence of pseudogout and gout is overwhelming in the elderly, the possibility of GCSF induced exacerbation of joint pain should be carefully considered in elderly patients.
 ...
PMID:[An elderly case with pseudogout exacerbated by the administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor during drug-induced granulocytopenia]. 1055 66