Clinical significance of enhanced production of interleukin-6 and oncostatin m by cultured systemic sclerosis patients peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Abstract EN

Objective : to determine whether the spontaneous production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and oncostatin M (OSM) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in systemic sclerosis patients (SSc) is increased.

Also, whether they correlate with the clinical or serological features of the disease.

Methodology : the culture supernatants of PBMCs from SSc patients (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 10) were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of IL-6 and OSM.

Also, pulmonary function tests were done for all patients and controls.

Results : the production levels of IL-6 and OSM were significantly higher in SSc patients than controls (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively).

High IL-6 levels correlated negatively with % the diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide DLCO (r = -0.5 ; p < 0.05), and high OSM levels correlated negatively with % vital capacity (VC) and DLCO (r = - 0.53 ; p < 0.05 and r = -0.87 ; p < 0.01 respectively).

Conclusion : the enhanced production of IL-6 and OSM may cooperatively contribute to the disease process in SSc.

Enhanced IL-6 & OSM production from PBMCs may be related to the development of pulmonary fibrosis.