IL-6 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: At the Intersection of Disease Activity and Cardiovascular Risk

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Rheumatology
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine linked to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis.
• IL-6 is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, potentially driving endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, and thromboinflammation in SLE patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between IL-6 levels, disease manifestations, organ damage, cardiovascular comorbidities, and treatments in SLE patients.

Main Methods:

• 88 SLE patients were recruited.
• Disease activity assessed using SLEDAI and organ damage with SLICC/ACR Damage Index.
• Serum IL-6 measured by ELISA; statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman correlations.

Main Results:

• IL-6 was non-significantly elevated in patients with arthritis, rash, and low complement.
• Serum IL-6 tended to increase with disease severity.
• Significant associations found between IL-6 and hypertension, aortic atherosclerosis, menopausal status, and hypercholesterolemia (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• IL-6 showed limited correlation with SLE clinical activity.
• IL-6 was significantly elevated in SLE patients with specific cardiovascular comorbidities.
• Findings suggest IL-6 may contribute to cardiovascular risk in SLE, requiring further research in larger cohorts.