Serum Interleukin 6 (IL -6) as Prognostic Marker in Egyptian CLL patients

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in adults. Currently, several biomarkers are being used as CLL prognosticators, including elevated protein levels, elevated RNA levels, gene mutations, and epigenetic changes. Materials and Methods: This study is a prospective study conducted on 55 patients newly diagnosed with CLL, serum IL-6 level was measured initially and after a 6-month treatment course. Correlation with the course of the disease and the known CLL prognostic parameters was done initially and after 6 months. Results: The initial serum IL-6 level in the patient group (pre-treatment) ranges from 36-91 pg/mL (median 57), and in the patient group (post-treatment) ranges from 1-32 pg/mL (median 2). Serum IL-6 level was positively correlated with WBC count, β2 microglobulin, LDH, ESR, B symptoms, Uric Acid, BM Aspirate (% of lymphocytes), and Binet and Rai staging systems. Conclusion: Serum IL-6 is a useful poor prognostic marker in newly diagnosed CLL patients; its prognostic value goes with the other known prognostic markers such as the BM lymphocyte count, ESR, and LDH.