A Drug Allergy Patient Presenting with Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy-like clinical symptoms with elevated interleukin 6 activity in serum and lymphocyte culture supernatant

Abstract

This paper discusses a case of immunoblastic lymphadenopathy (IBL)-like drug allergy with elevated serum intrerleukin 6 (IL-6) activity. The patient is a 43-year-man. He developed fever after having received an antipyretic agent, followed by systemic lymph node swelling, skin rash, and hepatosplenomegaly.
Furthermore, the patient also presented with clinical symptoms reminiscent of IBL, such as marked hemolytic anemia, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, positive reactions for various kinds of auto antibodies, and cellular immunosuppression. However, the pathological picture of the resected lymph node was incompatible with IBL but compatible with reactive lymphadenitis, and the patient gave a strong positive reaction to drug stimulation of lymphocytes. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of IBL-like drug allergy was made. In an attempt to elucidate the etiopathologies of this disease IL-6 activity in the serum and lymphocyte culture supernatant was determined. As a result, IL-6 activity was detected in serum which is normally free of it and was also elevated in lymphocyte culture supernatant. This finding is of interest from an etiopathological standpoint.