[Changes in plasma concentration of interleukin-6 in elderly patients with coronary artery disease complicated with heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to observe the concentrations of plasma interleukin-6(IL-6) in elderly patients with coronary artery disease(CAD). METHODS: Forty-eight CAD patients with heart failure, 15 CAD patients without heart failure, and 30 normal subjects were studied. The plasma concentration of interleukin-6(IL-6) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of IL-6 in CAD patients with heart failure was significantly higher than that without heart failure and normal subjects, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between CAD patients without heart failure and normal subjects in the plasma levels of IL-6. There was a negative correlation between the concentration of IL-6 and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) (r = -0.60, P < 0.01). The plasma concentration of IL-6 of the group with re-hospitalization because of severe heart failure was significantly higher than that of the group without hospital readmission (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The plasma concentration of IL-6 in CAD patients with heart failure may provide the important information for the severity of the disease and for the prognostic prediction in the disease.