Serum IL-6 and micrometry of pap smears in women with cervical low-grade intraepithelial lesions.

Objective: To assess serum IL-6 in women with or without low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) in Pap smears and correlate with the nucleo/cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio.

Methods: Manual micrometry was carried out on Pap smears for N/C ratios: Group A, negative findings (N=15); Group B, inflammation without abnormality (N=14); Group C, LSIL with inflammation (N=13). Serum IL-6 was measured in Groups B and C after treatment of nonviral genital infections. Women with pelvic inflammatory or systemic diseases were excluded.

Results: The N/C ratio was significantly higher in Group C vs Group B, both before and after treatment of nonviral infections and also vs group A (p<0.001, Students t test). After treatment for non-viral infections serum IL-6 levels were >50 pg/ml in 5/13 cases of Group C and significantly higher than levels in Group B (p<0.05), correlating positively with the N/C ratio in the 13 cases of LSIL (Pearson's coefficient r=0.659, p<0.05).

Conclusions: High peripheral circulating level of IL-6, despite prior treatment of nonviral infections, was observed in more than one third of women with persistent LSIL in Pap smears, and may serve as an additional biomarker for early cervical neoplasia. Long term follow up is indicated.