@article{3092735,
    title = "Release of interleukin-6 and its soluble receptors by activated
peripheral blood monocytes is elevated in hypocholesterolemic
hemodialysis patients",
    author = "Tsirpanlis, G and Chatzipanagiotou, S and Boufidou, F and Kordinas, V and and Alevyzaki, F and Zoga, M and Kyritsis, I and Ioannou, D and and Fatourou, A and Nicolaou, C",
    journal = "American Journal of Nephrology",
    year = "2005",
    volume = "25",
    number = "5",
    pages = "484-490",
    publisher = "Karger",
    issn = "0250-8095, 1421-9670",
    doi = "10.1159/000087921",
    keywords = "soluble IL-6 receptor; peripheral blood mononuclear cell; reverse
epidemiology; cardiovascular disease; renal failure; triglycerides;
cholesterol; inflammation; cell culture; cytokines; soluble receptors;
lipids",
    abstract = "Background: A reverse association between cholesterol level and
cardiovascular disease mortality is observed in hemodialysis ( HD)
patients; this paradoxical relationship may be explained by the
coexistence of inflammation. Interleukin- 6 ( IL- 6) is a central
regulator of inflammation; its action is augmented by the soluble IL- 6
receptor ( sIL-6R) and inhibited by the soluble gp130 ( sgp130). In
order to investigate the potential association of inflammation with
cholesterol levels in the HD population, release of soluble IL- 6
components by peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMCs) was measured
in two groups of HD patients with distinctly different lipid profile and
in a control group. Methods: Twenty- two HD patients with low serum
cholesterol ( range 85 - 171 mg/ dl), 23 HD patients with high
cholesterol ( 189 - 342 mg/ dl) and 21 normolipidemic non- renal failure
subjects were enrolled in the study. IL- 6, sIL- 6R and sgp130 were
measured by ELISA in the serum and in the supernatant collected from
cell cultures of activated or resting PBMCs isolated from all three
groups. Results: Serum IL- 6 and sgp130 level was higher while sIL- 6R
was lower in both groups of HD patients compared to the control group.
The ex- vivo release of the IL- 6 and sgp130 by unstimulated PBMCs did
not differ significantly between the three groups but that of the sIL-
6R was higher in non- renal failure than in hypercholesterolemic HD
subjects. Production of sIL- 6R by stimulated PBMCs was higher in low-
cholesterol HD patients ( p < 0.001) and the same was valid for the sgp
130 release ( p = 0.034). Release of IL- 6 by activated PBMCs was higher
in the low- cholesterol compared to the high-cholesterol HD patients
group ( p = 0.011 for post hoc test). Major serum lipid fractions were
inversely correlated to IL- 6 and sIL- 6R production from stimulated
PBMCs in HD but not in non- renal failure subjects. Finally, release of
the sgp130 by PBMCs was significantly reduced in 13 hypertriglyceridemic
- and hypercholesterolemic - HD patients. Conclusion: Production of
soluble components of a crucial pro- inflammatory and potentially
atherogenic cytokine, namely the IL- 6, by stimulated PBMCs appears to
be inversely correlated with the serum cholesterol levels in HD
patients. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel."
}