Abstract
BackgroundInterleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that is produced by many different cell types, and plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation, immune responses, the acute-phase response, and hematopoiesis. Previous laboratory and clinical studies have shown that IL-6 causes a significant decrease in serum iron levels. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological study to examine the association between serum IL-6 and iron levels.MethodsIn total, 280 Japanese individuals aged 20–78 years were enrolled when they visited a clinic located in an urban area for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection tests and subsequent eradication; 65.3% were infected with H. pylori. Subjects with gastric cancer, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, or IL-6 > 10 pg/mL were excluded from the study. Serum iron and IL-6 levels were measured using the 2-nitroso-5-(N-propyl-3-sulfopropylamino) phenol method and chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay, respectively.ResultsGeometric mean iron and IL-6 levels were 111.5 μg/dL and 1.77 pg/mL, respectively, for men, and 89.4 μg/dL and 1.55 pg/mL, respectively, for women. The logarithm of serum iron levels was negatively correlated with the logarithm of IL-6 levels in men (r = −0.19, p = 0.047), but not in women (r = −0.035, p = 0.65). Regression analysis, adjusted for sex, age, and H. pylori infection status, showed that the logarithm of serum iron levels was significantly associated with a decreased logarithm of IL-6 levels (β = −0.053, p = 0.041). The odds ratio for low serum iron levels adjusted for sex, age, and H. pylori infection status was 7.88 (95% CI 1.29–48.06) in those with an IL-6 level > 4 pg/mL.ConclusionLower serum iron levels are significantly associated with higher serum IL-6 levels among Japanese adults.
Highlights
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that is produced by many different cell types, and plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation, immune responses, the acute-phase response, and hematopoiesis
Some laboratory studies have shown a relationship between IL-6, hepcidin, and serum iron levels [11,12,13], and this relationship was subsequently shown in clinical studies [14,15,16,17,18,19]
Subjects The subjects were Japanese adults who visited an urban clinic in Nagoya, Japan, between December 2005 and October 2010 to be tested for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and, if positive, to receive treatment
Summary
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that is produced by many different cell types, and plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation, immune responses, the acute-phase response, and hematopoiesis. Some laboratory studies have shown a relationship between IL-6, hepcidin, and serum iron levels [11,12,13], and this relationship was subsequently shown in clinical studies [14,15,16,17,18,19]. Most of these previous studies have been conducted in specific settings with particular patients or groups. This crosssectional study aimed to examine the association between IL-6 and serum iron levels among Japanese adults
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