SERUM INTERLEUKIN-6 AS A PREDICATOR OF THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT AND ADVERSE REACTIONS AFTER TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL EMBOLIZATION

To evaluate the value of serum interleukin 6 (sIL-6) for the predictio n of therapeutic effect and adverse reaction after transcatheter arter ial embolization (TAE), sIL-6 was measured before and after angiograph y or TAE in 18 patients (three after angiography and 15 after TAE for hepatocellular carcinoma), The three patients with only angiography sh owed no elevation of sIL-6, while a significant increase was observed after TAE in the 15 hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The sIL-6 level s of patients with a partial response to TAE were higher at 48-72 hour s after the procedure than those of patients with no response (P = 0.0 45), and the sIL-6 levels of patients who showed adverse reactions wer e higher at 6-24 h than those of patients without adverse reactions (P = 0.019), sIL-6 level at 48-72 h after TAE reflects the efficacy of T AE, whereas the level at 6-24 h after TAE is related to the severity o f adverse reactions, Therefore, sIL-6 may be a useful indicator for pr ediction of the therapeutic effect of TAE as well as adverse reactions .