Cohen H J, Pieper C F, Harris T, Rao K M, Currie M S
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1997 Jul;52(4):M201-8. doi: 10.1093/gerona/52a.4.m201.
IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that has been shown to increase with age.
Plasma IL-6 was measured by ELISA in 1,727 community-dwelling elderly subjects whose blood was drawn during the third in-person survey of the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE). Demographics, functional status (disability), and disease states were determined. Correlations of these factors with IL-6 were analyzed with Spearman's Rho while differences between groups were assessed by Wilcoxon test.
IL-6 levels were higher with age (p = .0001) even in this older population (> 70 years). There was a positive correlation between IL-6 and functional disability for each of the functional status measures (p = .0001), as well as a correlation between self-rated health and IL-6. Significantly higher median levels of IL-6 were found in subjects reporting prevalent cancer, heart attack, and high blood pressure, but not diabetes or arthritis. The association between age and functional status with high IL-6 remained when all other variables were controlled, in multivariable analysis.
This association between increased plasma IL-6 levels and functional status suggests that dysregulation of IL-6 may be related to the functional disability seen with aging, and that IL-6 may be useful as a component of an overall marker of health.
白细胞介素-6（IL-6）是一种多功能细胞因子，已被证明会随着年龄增长而增加。
在杜克老年流行病学研究既定人群（EPESE）的第三次现场调查期间，对1727名社区居住的老年受试者进行了血液采集，并用酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）测量血浆IL-6水平。确定了人口统计学、功能状态（残疾情况）和疾病状态。使用Spearman秩相关分析这些因素与IL-6的相关性，同时通过Wilcoxon检验评估组间差异。
即使在这个老年人群（>70岁）中，IL-6水平也随着年龄增长而升高（p = 0.0001）。在各项功能状态测量中，IL-6与功能残疾之间存在正相关（p = 0.0001），自我评估健康状况与IL-6之间也存在相关性。在报告患有癌症、心脏病发作和高血压的受试者中发现IL-6的中位数水平显著更高，但糖尿病或关节炎患者并非如此。在多变量分析中，当控制所有其他变量时，年龄和功能状态与高IL-6之间的关联仍然存在。
血浆IL-6水平升高与功能状态之间的这种关联表明，IL-6的失调可能与衰老过程中出现的功能残疾有关，并且IL-6可能作为整体健康标志物的一个组成部分有用。
