[HTML][HTML] Interleukin-6 as a potential therapeutic target for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Y Furuya, T Satoh, M Kuwana - International journal of rheumatology, 2010 - hindawi.com
Y Furuya, T Satoh, M Kuwana
International journal of rheumatology, 2010hindawi.com
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a wide range of biologic activities in immune
regulation, hematopoiesis, inflammation, and oncogenesis. Recent accumulating evidence
indicates a pathologic role for IL-6 in promoting proliferation of both smooth muscle and
endothelial cells in the pulmonary arterioles, resulting in development of pulmonary arterial
hypertension (PAH). Here, we describe a patient with mixed connective tissue disease and
severe, refractory PAH. Her functional activity and hemodynamic parameters dramatically …
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a wide range of biologic activities in immune regulation, hematopoiesis, inflammation, and oncogenesis. Recent accumulating evidence indicates a pathologic role for IL-6 in promoting proliferation of both smooth muscle and endothelial cells in the pulmonary arterioles, resulting in development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Here, we describe a patient with mixed connective tissue disease and severe, refractory PAH. Her functional activity and hemodynamic parameters dramatically responded to tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to human IL-6 receptor, which was aimed at treating multicentric Castleman's disease. It appears that IL-6 blockade may hold promise as an adjunct drug in treatment of PAH in idiopathic form as well as in association with connective tissue disease.
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