Control of hepatic parameters in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by interleukin-6 (IL-6)?

RCC can go hand-in-hand with an elevation of various hepatic proteins. An i nterrelationship between the IL-6 titer, C-reactive protein (CRP) and the b lood sedimetation rate (BSR) has already been proven. The aim of the presen t study was to study 1) the possibility of differentiating between healthy and RCC patients via IL-6 in the serum and 2) the relationship of IL-6 to h epatic parameters {alkaline phosphatase CAP), gamma-glutamyltransferase (gG T) serum proteins (E'p)} and the usual clinical prognostic parameters (tumo r grading, staging). Serum analysis of 38 healthy patients via ELISA (DPC-B iermann, Germany) showed normal values of 1.2 ng/ml for IL-6, with a standa rts deviation of +/- 1.7 and a peak concentration of 3 ng/ml (specificity:9 5%. In 20 RCCs there were IL-6 titers of 10.7 ng/ml +/- 6.56 in the pre- op erative serum. The sensitivity of IL-6 was about 90%. The difference was st atistically significant (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon test). For IL-6 there was a p ositive correlation with the BSR (I-hour value: r = 0.7; 2-hour value: r = 0.6), CRP (r = 0.85), E'p (r = 0.6) and gGT (r = 0.6). No correlation was f ound between AP, the Robson stage, grading, and IL-6. IL-6 is potentially s uitable for differentiating between healthy and RCC patients but is not tum or specific. IL-6 has a strong correlation with all laboratory values which were analyzed except AP thus there is considerable evidence for a cytokine (IL-6) control of the hepatic changes. Since some fo the above-named labor atory parameters have prognostic relevance, IL-6 can be regarded as a cumul ative prognostic parameter.