Background: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that is produced by many different cell types, and\nplays an important role in the regulation of inflammation, immune responses, the acute-phase response, and\nhematopoiesis. Previous laboratory and clinical studies have shown that IL-6 causes a significant decrease in serum\niron levels. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological study to examine the association between serum IL-6 and\niron levels.\nMethods: In total, 280 Japanese individuals aged 20ââ?¬â??78 years were enrolled when they visited a clinic located in an\nurban area for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection tests and subsequent eradication; 65.3% were infected with\nH. pylori. Subjects with gastric cancer, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, or IL-6 > 10 pg/mL were excluded from the\nstudy. Serum iron and IL-6 levels were measured using the 2-nitroso-5-(N-propyl-3-sulfopropylamino) phenol\nmethod and chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay, respectively.\nResults: Geometric mean iron and IL-6 levels were 111.5 Ã?µg/dL and 1.77 pg/mL, respectively, for men, and 89.4 Ã?µg/dL\nand 1.55 pg/mL, respectively, for women. The logarithm of serum iron levels was negatively correlated with the\nlogarithm of IL-6 levels in men (r = -0.19, p = 0.047), but not in women (r = -0.035, p = 0.65). Regression analysis,\nadjusted for sex, age, and H. pylori infection status, showed that the logarithm of serum iron levels was significantly\nassociated with a decreased logarithm of IL-6 levels (Ã?Ÿ = -0.053, p = 0.041). The odds ratio for low serum iron levels\nadjusted for sex, age, and H. pylori infection status was 7.88 (95% CI 1.29ââ?¬â??48.06) in those with an IL-6 level > 4 pg/mL.\nConclusion: Lower serum iron levels are significantly associated with higher serum IL-6 levels among Japanese adults.
Loading....