Objective: To study the action of interleukin-6(IL-6) in pathogenesis and effect of patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
Methods: Forty-three patients of GBS were selected according to Asbury's standard and divided into two groups on layer randomize principle, they were treated with adrenal corticosteroid and Tripterygium polyglycoside (TP) respectively. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content of IL-6 were measured by double antibody sandwich ELISA method.
Results: (1) The serum and CSF content of IL-6 in GBS group was higher than those in the normal control group significantly; (2) There was positive correlation between CSF IL-6 and clinical severity (P < 0.01) before treatment; (3) After treatment the clinical symptoms were improved in both groups, but the TP treated group showed better effect than the control group in improving symptoms and lowering serum IL-6 level (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: CSF level of IL-6 could be taken as one of the criteria for severity evaluation of patient's condition. TP is superior in suppressing abnormal immune reaction to adrenal corticosteroid in GBS patients.