Korean Journal of Nephrology 1996;15(3):259-263.

IgA신병증에 있어서 Interleukin - 6와 Interleukin - 6수용체의 발현 및 조절에 관한 연구

조병수

Abstract

IgA nephropathy is an immune complex glomeru- lonephritis and one of the most common type of glomerular diseases. The pathogenesis of IgA ne- phropathy is still uncertain, but recent studies sug- gest that some abnormality of the immune system might play an important role. It has become established that immune responses are regulated by cytokines such as Interleukin-2, Interleukin-2 recep- tors, Interleukin-4, Interleukin-5, TGF-B, Interleu- kin-6, Interleukin-6 receptor, etc. However most of these cytokine researches were performed in adult IgA nephropathy. We measured Interleukin-4, IFN- 2, Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-6 receptors in the sera and urine of the 7 children with IgA nephropathy, 7 minimal change nephrotic syndrome and 6 normal controls. The results showed a significantly higher IL-6 activity in IgA nephropathy(9.6±6.7pg/ml) than in minimal change nephrotic syndrome(3.0±3.5pg/ml) and in normal control(2.2±4.5pg.ml)(p=0.05). Howe- ver, urinary IL-6 activity showed no significant difference between the IgA nephropathy group and the control groups. Other cytokine activities such as Interleukin-4, IFN- 7, Interleukin-6 receptor revealed no significant difference either in the sera or in the urine between the IgA nephropathy group and the control group. These results suggest that IL-6 activity is not so elevated to be used as a prognos- tic indicator in childhood IgA nephropathy as in adult IgA neghropathy.