Contemporary Oncology
eISSN: 1897-4309
ISSN: 1428-2526
Contemporary Oncology/Współczesna Onkologia
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3/2025
vol. 29
 
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abstract:
Original paper

Interleukin-6 as the preferred prognostic factor in infection-complicated acute myeloid leukemia

Natalia Bujko-Wasiak
1
,
Aleksandra Kaźmierczak
2
,
Łukasz Dariusz Lisak
2
,
Wiesław Wiktor Jędrzejrzak
1
,
Piotr Petrasz
2
,
Piotr Zorga
2
,
Katarzyna Brzeźniakiewicz-Janus
1

  1. Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Zielona Gora, Multi-Specialist Hospital Gorzow Wielkopolski, Poland
  2. Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Zielona Gora, Poland
Contemp Oncol (Pozn) 2025; 29 (3): 267–270
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2025.153759
Online publish date: 2025/08/26
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Introduction:
This study investigated the prognostic significance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in predicting infection severity and mortality among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Given the high susceptibility of AML patients to infectious complications, the study aimed to evaluate IL-6 as a superior biomarker compared to C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT).

Material and methods:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 84 AML patients who developed infectious complications during treatment. Biomarkers, including IL-6, CRP, and PCT, were measured at the onset of infection, and infection severity was graded on a scale from 1 to 5. Statistical methods, including Spearman’s rank correlation and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), were applied to determine relationships between biomarker levels, infection severity, and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to assess the predictive value of IL-6 for mortality, adjusting for demographic and hematological factors.

Results:
IL-6 levels exhibited the strongest correlation with infection severity and mortality (odds ratio 2.45, 95% CI: 1.80–3.33) compared to CRP and PCT. The relationship was particularly pronounced in middle-aged patients (41–60 years). While CRP and PCT also increased with infection severity, IL-6 demonstrated superior predictive power, especially in severe and fatal cases.

Conclusions:
IL-6 is a reliable prognostic biomarker for infection severity and mortality in AML patients, outperforming traditional inflammatory markers. Routine IL-6 monitoring could enable early identification of high-risk patients, facilitating timely interventions and improving outcomes. These findings support the integration of IL-6 monitoring into standard care protocols for AML patients with infectious complications.

keywords:

hematological malignancies, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), inflammatory markers
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