Enhanced production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), oncostatin M and soluble IL-6 receptor by cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic sclerosis

The enhanced production of IL-6, OSM and sIL-6R from PBMC may cooperatively contribute to the disease process in SSc. In particular, enhanced sIL-6R production from PBMC may be related to the development of pulmonary fibrosis via enhancement of IL-6 signal transduction in SSc, since sIL-6R can act as an agonist of IL-6.