Urinary immunoreactive interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-6 in bacteriuric institutionalized elderly subjects.

Urinary immunoreactive interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-6 levels were measured in specimens obtained from elderly institutionalized subjects, including 67 asymptomatic subjects (51 of whom were bacteriuric), 34 with fever from nonurinary sources, 15 with bacteriuria and 9 with symptomatic urinary infection. For bacteriuric subjects urinary interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-6 levels were measurable in 18 (35%) and 22 (43%) asymptomatic subjects, respectively, 9 (60%) and 8 (53%) with nonurinary sources of fever, respectively, and 6 (67%) and 7 (78%) with urinary infection, respectively. For subjects without bacteriuria 1 of 16 (6.3%) who were asymptomatic and 5 (25%) with nonurinary sources of fever had measurable urinary interleukin-1 alpha, and 2 (13%) and 1 (5.3%), respectively, had measurable interleukin-6. Presence of interleukin-1 alpha or interleukin-6 was significantly associated with bacteriuria for asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects. Interleukin-1 alpha or interleukin-6 quantitative levels were lower in subjects without than with bacteriuria. Quantitative levels of interleukin-6 tended to decrease for bacteriuric subjects with symptomatic infection between acute and convalescent specimens. These observations suggest that interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-6 are produced in association with bacteriuria in some elderly subjects. Variation in local cytokine production with time and the clinical significance of these observations require further study.