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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Mar 1:15:1330386.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1330386. eCollection 2024.

Level of IL-6, TNF, and IL-1β and age-related diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Anna Tylutka  1 , Łukasz Walas  2 , Agnieszka Zembron-Lacny  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Level of IL-6, TNF, and IL-1β and age-related diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Anna Tylutka et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic low-grade inflammation is an important aspect of morbidity and mortality in older adults. The level of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or IL-1β) is a risk factor in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and is also associated with sarcopenia and frailties. The objective of this study was to assess each cytokine: IL-6, TNF, and IL-1β separately in the elderly with comorbidities against controls without diseases according to the data published in the available literature.

Methods: The electronic bibliographic PubMed database was systematically searched to select all the relevant studies published up to July 2023. The total number of the subjects involved in the meta-analysis included patients with diseases (n=8154) and controls (n=33967).

Results: The overall concentration of IL-6 was found to be higher in patients with diseases compared to controls and the difference was statistically significant, with a p-value of <0.001 (SMD, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.12-0.19). The heterogeneity was considerable with Q = 109.97 (P <0.0001) and I2 = 79.2%. The potential diagnostic usefulness of IL-6 was confirmed by odds ratio (OR) analysis (OR: 1.03, 95% CI (1.01; 1.05), p=0.0029). The concentration of both TNF and IL-1β was elevated in the control group compared to patients and amounted to SMD -0.03; 95% CI, -0.09-0.02, p-value 0.533 and SMD-0.29; 95% CI, -0.47- -0.12; p = 0.001, respectively. For TNF, however, the difference was statistically insignificant.

Discussion: IL-6, unlike TNF and IL-1β, could be a useful and convenient marker of peripheral inflammation in older adults with various comorbidities.

Keywords: comorbidities; immunosenescence; interleukin 1β; interleukin 6; tumor necrosis factor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram showing the paper selection process for inclusion.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forrest plot (A) Egger test (B) and funnel plot (C) for IL-6.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forrest plot (A) and Egger test (B) and funnel plot (C) for TNF.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forrest plot (A) and Egger test (B) and funnel plot (C) for IL-1β.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forrest plot (A) Egger test (B) and funnel plot (C) for IL-6.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forrest plot (A) and Egger test (B) and funnel plot (C) for TNF.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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