Respiratory Research (Mar 2010)

Elevation of IL-6 in the allergic asthmatic airway is independent of inflammation but associates with loss of central airway function

  • Bunn Janice Y,
  • Burns Stephanie M,
  • Bourassa Lorraine M,
  • Raymond Danielle M,
  • Allard Jenna L,
  • Neveu Wendy A,
  • Irvin Charles G,
  • Kaminsky David A,
  • Rincon Mercedes

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1465-9921-11-28
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 28

Abstract

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Abstract Background Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway that is characterized by a Th2-type of immune response with increasing evidence for involvement of Th17 cells. The role of IL-6 in promoting effector T cell subsets suggest that IL-6 may play a functional role in asthma. Classically IL-6 has been viewed as an inflammatory marker, along with TNFα and IL-1β, rather than as regulatory cytokine. Objective To investigate the potential relationship between IL-6 and other proinflammatory cytokines, Th2/Th17 cytokines and lung function in allergic asthma, and thus evaluate the potential role of IL-6 in this disease. Methods Cytokine levels in induced sputum and lung function were measured in 16 healthy control and 18 mild-moderate allergic asthmatic subjects. Results The levels of the proinflammatory biomarkers TNFα and IL-1β were not different between the control and asthmatic group. In contrast, IL-6 levels were specifically elevated in asthmatic subjects compared with healthy controls (p S = 0.53, p Conclusions In mild-moderate asthma, IL-6 dissociates from other proinflammatory biomarkers, but correlates with IL-13 levels. Furthermore, IL-6 may contribute to impaired lung function in allergic asthma.