SEARCH:   Advanced

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Rights and Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Atkins, M. Articles by Berkman, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Atkins, M. Articles by Berkman, E. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?  Previous Article  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Article  Interleukin-6-associated anemia: determination of the underlying mechanism MB Atkins, K Kappler, JW Mier, RE Isaacs and EM Berkman Division of Hematology/Oncology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) is a pluripotent cytokine with proinflammatory, antitumor, and growth factor effects. Clinical investigations of rhIL-6 either alone as immunotherapy or as a colony- stimulating factor in conjunction with chemotherapy have shown a dose- dependent, rapid onset, and largely reversible decrease in venous hematocrit levels. In an effort to determine the mechanism for the rhIL- 6-associated anemia, we measured red blood cell volume serially in patients receiving rhIL-6 at either 30 micrograms/kg/day as a 120-hour continuous intravenous infusion (renal cell carcinoma) or 100 micrograms/kg/d intravenously over 1 hour for 5 days (melanoma) as part of two separate phase II trials. Radioisotope dilution assays with 51Cr- labeled autologous red blood cells and hemolysis screens were performed on day 1 before the initiation of therapy and on day 5 shortly before the end of therapy. In the 6 patients studied, the mean decrease in hemoglobin concentration was 1.9 +/- 0.94 g/dL. The mean decrease in the hematocrit level was 6% +/- 2% and the mean increase in total blood volume was 731 +/- 337 mL. These changes were explained by a mean decrease in red blood mass of 106 +/- 109 mL and a mean increase in plasma volume of 743 +/- 289 mL. The decrease in red blood cell mass was largely explained by phlebotomy during the hospitalization, but was not statistically significant (paired t-test, P = .06). All other changes were statistically significant (P < .05). Simple regression analysis indicated that the decrease in hematocrit level and increase in plasma volume were related (y = -1.78 - .0066X; R = -.74). Measurements of lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, haptoglobin, and reticulocyte counts and serial stool hemoccults did not indicate hemolysis or blood loss. We conclude that the anemia caused by IL-6 is caused by an increase in plasma volume. Volume 86, Issue 4, pp. 1288-1291, 08/15/1995 Copyright © 1995 by The American Society of Hematology CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this? This article has been cited by other articles: H. A. Papadaki, H. D. Kritikos, V. Valatas, D. T. Boumpas, and G. D. Eliopoulos Anemia of chronic disease in rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased apoptosis of bone marrow erythroid cells: improvement following anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha antibody therapy Blood, June 28, 2002; 100(2): 474 - 482. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] P. L. Greenberg, V. Gordeuk, S. Issaragrisil, N. Siritanaratkul, S. Fucharoen, and R. C. Ribeiro Major Hematologic Diseases in the Developing World-- New Aspects of Diagnosis and Management of Thalassemia, Malarial Anemia, and Acute Leukemia Hematology, January 1, 2001; 2001(1): 479 - 498. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

	Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Hematology         Online ISSN: 1528-0020