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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Aged, Case-Control Studies, Female, Humans, Interleukin-6, Male, Middle Aged, Parkinson Disease, Severity of Illness Index, Up-Regulation.
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Do interleukin-6 levels in cerebrospinal fluid inversely correlate to severity of Parkinson 's disease? Context: Several lines of evidence suggest that neuroimmune mechanisms may also be involved in neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). The potential role of cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), in the interaction between neurons and immune system has been emphasized by recent findings. IL-6 induces acute phase protein synthesis, differentiation of neuronal cells and improves catecholaminergic and cholinergic cell survival in the brain. We determined levels of IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of untreated parkinsonian patients and age- and sex-matched controls. Intensity of disease was evaluated by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating scale. Significantly elevated levels of IL-6 were found in the CSF of parkinsonian patients. Moreover a significant inverse correlation between severity of PD and IL-6 CSF levels appeared.
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Elevated IL-6 levels in the CSF of untreated parkinsonian patients may reflect the original condition in the course of disease. We speculate that an endogenous upregulation of IL-6 synthesis occurs in order to regenerate lesioned neurons probably at an early phase of the degenerative process in PD. Final Decision: yes