RESUMO
To determine whether serum interleukin 6 [IL-6] levels are higher in postmenopausal osteoporotic patients than normal controls and to correlate these levels with bone mineral density [BMD] of the femoral and axial skeleton. Serum interleukin 6 levels were measured in 83 postmenopausal women 53 osteoporotic with no vertebral fractures and 30 age and body mass index [BMl] matched controls with normal BMD]. BMD at the femoral neck and lumbar spine L2-L4 were taken by Dual X Ray Absorptiometry [DEXA]. Serum IL 6 levels were significantly elevated in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis compared to controls [P<0.01]. Furthermore we found a significant correlation between plasma IL-6 at the lumbar region [r= - 0.536; P<0.001] but not the femoral region [r= - 0.245; P=0.241]. These findings support the hypothesis that IL-6 is an important mediator of bone loss during the first accelerated phase of bone loss. Further studies are recommended to determine its possible role in predicting the risk of osteoporotic fractures