Blood Level of IL-1β in Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation and Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Abstract

The blood level of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was determined in 100 normal individuals, 10 patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), 41 patients with established disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), 15 in pre-DIC period (within 7 days before the onset of DIC), and 23 non-DIC patients. In TTP, the blood IL-1β concentration was increased at onset but decreased at remission. The blood IL-1β concentration was significantly higher (p<0.01) in the DIC group (0.19±0.19ng/ml) than in the pre-DIC group (0.05±0.08ng/ml) or the non-DIC group (0.09±0.01ng/ml). According to underlying diseases, the blood IL-1β level was not markedly elevated in leukemia patients even in the DIC group, but it was significantly increased in the DIC group of solid cancer patients. It was generally elevated in sepsis patients. It was lower in DIC patients with no organ failure than in the entire DIC group, and was markedly elevated in those with organ failure at 0.29±0.26ng/ml. From those results, IL-1 is considered to be closely related to the pathogenesis of DIC and TTP, and it was associated organ failure.