Therapeutic use of dopamine and beta-blockers modulates plasma interleukin-6 levels in patients with congestive heart failure

We previously reported that the spillover of interleukin-6 (IL-6) into the peripheral circulation increases with the severity of congestive heart fail ure (CHF), and that the increase is mainly associated with activation of th e endogenous sympathetic nervous system. However, the role of the sympathet ic nervous system in the increase of IL-6 in CHF patients is not yet fully understood. To address this question, we measured plasma IL-6 levels before and after therapeutic administration of dopamine and betablockers in patie nts with CHE After more than 24 h (mean, 34 h) of treatment with a low dose of intravenous dopamine (mean, 2.4 mug/kg/min) in 11 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and deterioration of CHF the plasma IL-6 level was increase d significantly (30.8 vs. 16.6 pg/ml; p = 0.003) despite the improved hemod ynamics. After 377 days of beta-blocker therapy in 24 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, the plasma IL-6 level was decreased significantly (2.04 vs . 3.11 pg/ml; p = 0.01) along with the improvement of symptoms, left ventri cular ejection fraction, and neurohumoral factors. Dopamine increases and b eta-blockers decrease the plasma IL-6 level in patients with CHF suggesting that drugs modulating the sympathetic nervous system may alter IL-6 in the se patients.