The Role of Interleukin-6 in Anemia of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, in Pre-dialysis Stage

Background: Anemia is common in chronic kidney patients. Interleukin-6 plays an important role in anemia. No studies were performed on the role of Interleukin-6 in anemia of pre-dialysis adult chronic kidney disease, so we performed this study to highlight this point.

Methods: A case control study conducted on 50 patients with CKD and 30 apparently healthy volunteers as a control group. They were further subdivided into: 1a: 12 CKD patients with 12 > Hb >10 and 1b: 38 CKD patients with moderate or severe anemia. Hb <10 gm/dl. Group 2: 30 healthy volunteers. All participants were subjected to full history taking, complete clinical examination, routine laboratory investigations including CBC, KFTs, LFTs and serum IL6 assay by ELIZA.

Results: Hb, HCT and MCV were significantly lower among group Ia and group Ib patients in comparison to group II, but CKD patients’ groups had significantly higher IL-6 level than control group with no significant difference between patients’ groups (group Ia and group Ib). Significant negative correlation was detected between IL6 and both Hb and HCT among patients and control group.

Conclusions: IL6 is significantly higher in chronic kidney patients in comparison to controls. It also correlates negatively with hemoglobin level and hematocrit. IL6 has a good sensitivity of 83.3% at a cutoff value of 74.7ng/l. So, it can be used as a prognostic marker of anemia in chronic kidney patients.