BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is involved in the systemic changes that are associated with infection and tissue injury and that there is a correlation between high levels of IL-6 and poor outcome during several pathologic conditions. OBJECTIVE: The effects of antimurine IL-6 antibody on survival and host defense were studied in a clinically relevant model of infection. METHODS: Balb/c mice were treated with 10 micrograms of antimurine interleukin-6, a nonspecific mouse IgG, or placebo 1 hour before they underwent bacterial challenge by gavage of 10(10) Escherichia coli and burn injury. Survival and the extent of translocation of E coli were determined as well as the correlation between the IL-6 levels and survival times. RESULTS: Survival after burn and gavage was 90% in animals treated with antimurine interleukin-6 vs 50% in animals treated with nonspecific IgG and 30% in saline-treated controls. A significant correlation between the levels of IL-6 and survival time was observed. Less translocation and better killing of bacteria were observed in the tissues of animals treated with antimurine interleukin-6. CONCLUSIONS: Interleukin-6 appears to play a major role in both the intensity of translocation of E coli from the intestine following burn injury and the host's ability to kill translocated organisms. Improved outcome was associated with a reduction of IL-6 levels by anti-IL-6 antibody.
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is involved in the systemic changes that are associated with infection and tissue injury and that there is a correlation between high levels of IL-6 and poor outcome during several pathologic conditions. OBJECTIVE: The effects of antimurine IL-6 antibody on survival and host defense were studied in a clinically relevant model of infection. METHODS: Balb/c mice were treated with 10 micrograms of antimurine interleukin-6, a nonspecific mouseIgG, or placebo 1 hour before they underwent bacterial challenge by gavage of 10(10) Escherichia coli and burn injury. Survival and the extent of translocation of E coli were determined as well as the correlation between the IL-6 levels and survival times. RESULTS: Survival after burn and gavage was 90% in animals treated with antimurine interleukin-6 vs 50% in animals treated with nonspecific IgG and 30% in saline-treated controls. A significant correlation between the levels of IL-6 and survival time was observed. Less translocation and better killing of bacteria were observed in the tissues of animals treated with antimurine interleukin-6. CONCLUSIONS:Interleukin-6 appears to play a major role in both the intensity of translocation of E coli from the intestine following burn injury and the host's ability to kill translocated organisms. Improved outcome was associated with a reduction of IL-6 levels by anti-IL-6 antibody.
Authors: Sara Nullens; Michael Staessens; Cédric Peleman; Philip Plaeke; Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar; Sven Francque; Joris G De Man; Benedicte Y De Winter Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-04-04 Impact factor: 3.240