Interleukin-6 plasma levels and socioeconomic status in Brazilian elderly community-dwelling women.

Aging is related to a chronic increase in inflammatory cytokines. Adverse socioeconomic conditions are associated with increased plasma levels of these molecules, especially interleukin (IL)-6. Considering the differential profile of elderly Brazilians regarding their socioeconomic and cultural aspects, the objectives of this study were: to assess the correlation and differences between levels of IL-6 and socioeconomic status (education and income) in elderly women. IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA. The Spearman test was used to determine the correlation between IL-6 and socioeconomic status, and the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests for cytokine level differences across education and income. IL-6 showed a significant inverse correlation with education (r = -0.205, p = 0.014) and income (r = -0.185, p = 0.028). Differences in IL-6 levels were registered across the education variables. The results corroborate evidence that low socioeconomic status is related to higher IL-6 plasma levels in elderly women.