Does inflammation play a role in pleural empyema?

Pleural empyema is a serious condition that develops when pus builds up in the space between the lungs and the chest wall (the pleural space). It can cause: 

• Fever 

• Chest pain 

• Breathlessness 

• A cough with mucous 

It is not a common condition but can occasionally become life-threatening. Pleural empyema is associated with very severe inflammation. 

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is produced in the body wherever there is inflammation. IL-6 is a cytokine. Cytokines are small proteins produced by our cells. They play a vital role in the body’s immune system. 

IL-6 levels are raised when an infection is present and can be targeted by monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced proteins that bind to specific targets in the body. They are designed to mimic, enhance, or restore the immune system’s attack on unwanted cells.  

Evidence confirming whether IL-6 drives pleural empyema development is limited. However, we do know that targeting IL-6 to treat other infections does have positive results. 

Project aims

We will review the evidence that targeting IL-6 might have a role in treating pleural empyema.  

We wanted to identify the relationship between: 

• Pleural IL-6 and serum IL-6 

• Pleural IL-6 and other markers of pleural empyema severity 

What we hope to achieve 

We hope that our findings will allow us to apply for more funding to assess whether tocilizumab (a drug that attaches to IL-6 receptors and blocks their activity) would be effective in treating pleural infections.