INTRODUCTION Some patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) exhibit elevated serum interleukin (IL)-6 with excessive inflammatory reactions or with repeating relapse. To date few reports pertaining to clinical implications of elevated serum IL-6 in IgG4-RD patients have been published. The aims of the current retrospective study were to investigate the clinical implications of elevated serum IL-6 in IgG4-RD patients, and to examine whether IL-6 can predict the activity and/or relapse of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the clinical picture at the onset of 43 patients who were diagnosed with IgG4-RD in our hospital and were able to measure serum IL-6 before steroid treatment. RESULTS The median level of serum IL-6 was 2.2 pg/mL. There was a significant correlation between IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) level (r = 0.397, p = 0.008), hemoglobin level (r = -0.390, p = 0.010) and albumin level (r = -0.556, p < 0.001). When 43 patients were divided into two groups by using a cut-off IL-6 of 4 pg/mL, the high IL-6 group showed higher age, lower albumin, higher CRP and higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (age p = 0.014, albumin p = 0.006, CRP p <0.001, AST p = 0.009). Hepatic swelling and splenomegaly were significantly more prevalent in the high IL-6 group than it was in the low IL-6 group (liver p < 0.001, spleen p = 0.020). Biliary tract involvement tended to admit more in the high IL-6 group (p = 0.060). CONCLUSION Serum IL-6 level at the onset of IgG4-RD may be significantly correlated with clinical inflammatory parameters and it may also be associated with involvement of the bile duct, liver, and spleen.

中文翻译：

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IgG4相关疾病中血清白介素6升高的临床意义。

引言一些患有IgG4相关疾病（IgG4-RD）的患者表现出血清白介素（IL）-6升高，并伴有过多的炎症反应或反复复发。迄今为止，关于IgG4-RD患者血清IL-6升高的临床意义的报道很少。当前回顾性研究的目的是调查IgG4-RD患者血清IL-6升高的临床意义，并检查IL-6是否可以预测疾病的活动和/或复发。材料与方法我们检查了43例在我院诊断为IgG4-RD并能够在类固醇治疗之前测定血清IL-6的患者的临床表现。结果血清IL-6的中位水平为2.2 pg / mL。IL-6与C反应蛋白（CRP）水平之间存在显着相关性（r = 0.397，p = 0。008），血红蛋白水平（r = -0.390，p = 0.010）和白蛋白水平（r = -0.556，p <0.001）。当使用4 pg / mL的IL-6临界值将43例患者分为两组时，高IL-6组显示年龄更大，白蛋白降低，CRP升高和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）升高（年龄p = 0.014） ，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。010）和白蛋白水平（r = -0.556，p <0.001）。当使用4 pg / mL的IL-6临界值将43例患者分为两组时，高IL-6组显示年龄更大，白蛋白降低，CRP升高和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）升高（年龄p = 0.014） ，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。010）和白蛋白水平（r = -0.556，p <0.001）。当使用4 pg / mL的IL-6临界值将43例患者分为两组时，高IL-6组显示年龄更大，白蛋白降低，CRP升高和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）升高（年龄p = 0.014） ，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。当使用4 pg / mL的IL-6临界值将43例患者分为两组时，高IL-6组显示年龄更大，白蛋白降低，CRP升高和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）升高（年龄p = 0.014） ，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。当使用4 pg / mL的IL-6临界值将43例患者分为两组时，高IL-6组显示年龄更大，白蛋白降低，CRP升高和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）升高（年龄p = 0.014） ，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。014，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。014，白蛋白p = 0.006，CRP p <0.001，AST p = 0.009）。高IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大比低IL-6组的肝脏肿胀和脾肿大得多（肝p <0.001，脾p = 0.020）。高IL-6组的胆道受累倾向更大（p = 0.060）。结论IgG4-RD发作时血清IL-6水平可能与临床炎症参数显着相关，也可能与胆管，肝脏和脾脏受累相关。