Expression of interleukin-6 in cerebral neurons and ovarian cancer tissue in Trousseau syndrome

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is reportedly increased in serum and CSF from acute stroke patients. However, the cellular origin and possible role of IL-6 in CNS after stroke are unclear. We describe a woman with recurrent stroke, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) caused by ovarian cancer (Trousseau syndrome). The patient died 50 days after the final episode of cerebral embolism. The immunohistochemical study revealed IL-6 protein to have been expressed both in cerebral neurons spared from ischemic insult and in epithelial cells of the ovarian tumor. We speculate that IL-6 produced in ovarian cancer may be associated with the hypercoagulable state and the development of NBTE in this patient. In contrast, IL-6 induction in cerebral neurons may contribute to the survival of these neurons after a stroke.